451 Indonesians ready for voluntary repatriation

Of the 81,000 Indonesians in the UAE, 451 have so far expressed their readiness for voluntary repatriation while some families have “self-repatriated,” in the midst of the USA-Israel-Iran War.

As of Friday, the 14th day of the conflict, which has spawned global strain, and according to a credible source from the Republic of Indonesia Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the diplomatic mission, in partnership with the officers and men of the Republic of Indonesia Consulate General in Dubai, have assisted 128 “who were stranded due to flight disruptions.”

Said the source who requested not to be named, “125 have successfully returned to Indonesia, using several commercial airlines” departing either from the Sheikh Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi or from the Dubai International Airports.

Three have scheduled flights on March 15.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Judha Nugraha, who assumed the top post of the One Indonesia Team in the UAE in December 2025, and Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates Denny Lesmana, have so far engaged in three “Zoom and live-streamed via You Tube” meetings for “updates and guidance” with their countrymen not only in the UAE but also across the region.

The source said: “The Government of Indonesia with our diplomatic and consular missions in the UAE, continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East; remains in constant communication with the Indonesian citizens.”

“Our priority is to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of Indonesian nationals, while providing timely information and assistance when needed. The returnees shall receive necessary information and assistance once they land in Indonesia,” he said.

Majority of the Indonesians across the seven emirates are Abu Dhabi and Dubai residents.

They are employed in the hospitality and tourism, aviation services, healthcare, retail, technical, domestic labour, and other professional sectors.

The source mentioned that as utilised by the embassy, the Alert Level in the UAE is “3” (Siaga 3).

Indonesians are to “remain vigilant, must continually monitor official information channels, and must maintain communication with the Indonesian missions, while continuing their daily activities with caution and in compliance with UAE regulations.”

For the top three reasons for the voluntary repatriation, the source, who pointed out that “many have also chosen to remain” in the country, enumerated “uncertainty related to the regional security situation, flight disruptions and travel uncertainty,” and concerned families back home and therefore, their preference “to return home temporarily while monitoring developments.”

Asked for one specific case, the source mentioned “Dr. Rizka and her family” who decided to go home “for practical considerations, including school holidays for the children and the flexibility of her husband to work remotely while taking leave.” The family was influenced too, by the “evacuations” conducted by other governments.

They are highly aware of the 81,000 Indonesians, a massive evacuation, which would be “challenging; they chose to self-repatriate so that the Indonesian Government through the embassy could focus their efforts on assisting those who may require more urgent support.”

On the flipside, the top reason for the huge number of the Indonesians’ option to stay: the security situation in the UAE remains stable and well-managed by the authorities demonstrated by the existence of strong public security systems and effective defence systems.

Two: many are long-term residents with stable employment and contractual obligations, particularly in the sectors of hospitality, healthcare, aviation services, retail and domestic work. Continuing their work in the UAE remains an important economic consideration for supporting their families in Indonesia.

Three: they are confident” on the information and guidance dissemination they have been getting from the host government and through the One Indonesia Team. On overseeing the repatriation, Ambassador Nugraha visited his fellow Indonesians in Al Ruwais, Madinat Zayed and Al Ain. His purpose: to gain a “first-hand” knowledge on their concerns and “ensure that assistance mechanisms remain accessible.”

Also, Nugraha went to Mazyad, the border which the UAE shares with Oman “to observe the situation on the ground and to monitor” the procedures involving the overland travel to Muscat and onward to Jakarta either by direct flight or with stopovers such as in Colombo, Sri Lanka.