Indonesia, Hong Kong Intensify Immigration Cooperation

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The governments of Indonesia and Hong Kong have agreed to step up cooperation in the areas of immigration and labor, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi noted in a press statement here on Friday.

"Cooperation in the areas of immigration and labor between Indonesia and Hong Kong is an important part of the relations between the two countries," Marsudi stated at a meeting with Hong Kong's Security Minister Lai Tung-kwok.

She said the Hong Kong government had welcomed the proposal of the Indonesian foreign affairs minister to establish closer cooperation in the fields of immigration and labor through the inking of a memorandum and understanding between the relevant agencies.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are currently some 168 thousand Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong, and its workforce is the second-largest after the Philippines.

During the meeting with the Hong Kong security minister, the Indonesian foreign affairs minister shed light on some of the legal cases involving Indonesian nationals related to the implementation of the Management Information System of Immigration.

In response, the Hong Kong security minister affirmed that the strong bilateral relations between the two countries had become an important capital to discuss the matter further and to find the best solution for both parties.

At the meeting, the two ministers agreed on the need to intensify cooperation between the Consulate General in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Immigration Office through the establishment of working groups to address the various problems faced by Indonesian nationals in Hong Kong. (WDY)