To discuss refugee management, the government along with other stakeholders held a meeting at the Governor’s office in North Sumatra, Medan, on Friday (5/1/2023). They decided to take humanitarian emergency measures for the first 14 days.

“Until January 14th, refugees will still be located there. Further decisions will be made after emergency response management for 14 days,” said the Assistant of Government and People’s Welfare of North Sumatra Provincial Government, Basarin Yunus Tanjung, to journalists after chairing a meeting.”

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Deli Serdang Regency Government, the North Sumatra Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Also read: Aceh Students Expel Rohingya Refugees from Shelter

Basarin reported that according to the latest data collection, 157 Rohingya refugees have entered Indonesian territory in the village of Karang Gading. The Rohingya refugees have set up tents made of blue tarp on the beach. The refugees consist of 81 adults and 76 children, including 23 infants under the age of five (toddlers).

Basarin stated that currently the stakeholders are focusing on providing humanitarian emergency actions, such as supplying food, drink, and clean water. Currently, the basic needs of refugees are supplied by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the National Zakat Agency, and the Deli Serdang Regency Government.

Basarin mentioned that they received information about the emergence of objection from the community near the beach. They live on a beach that is located adjacent to one of the villages in Kwala Besar, Secanggang District, Langkat Regency.

“From the beginning, it was anticipated to prevent any friction between refugees and the local community. There are already security measures in place from the police, military, and local government in the district,” said Basarin.

Head of Medan Immigration Detention Center of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Sarsaralos Sivakkar, stated that the government is currently only providing basic necessities such as food and water. However, permanent facilities such as a public kitchen and clean water source are not provided by the government.

The information, he said, is very important to prevent false information from circulating in the community. “Don’t twist this anymore. Refugees are given temporary facilities, not for a year or two,” said Sarsaralos.

To handle the recent wave of Rohingya refugees, Sarsaralos says that it is currently being discussed at the central government level. This step is important because in the past few months, the influx of Rohingya refugees coming to Indonesia has increased.

UNHCR Protection Associate Oktina Hafanti stated that the condition of refugees in emergency shelters in Karang Gading is highly concerning. Delivering basic necessities to them is also proving to be difficult due to limited transportation access. To reach the shelter, one must travel by sea for more than an hour from Medan Belawan.

“The situation is still very concerning, so we request that the government relocate the area to facilitate the delivery of aid. There is no clean water, and food supplies must come from nearby villages. There is also no water well available,” said Oktina.

The condition is still very concerning, hence we plea to the government to relocate the place to facilitate aid supplies. Clean water is not available, food supplies must come from surrounding villages. There is also no water well yet.

Oktina revealed that approximately 83 refugees already have UNHCR refugee cards. They are also registering other refugees to obtain refugee cards. Oktina stressed that addressing foreign refugees should not only be the responsibility of UNHCR, but also require the assistance of central and local governments.

Previously, Commander of the Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command Major General Mochammad Hasan stated that Rohingya refugees are using a new method to enter Indonesian territory after being rejected in Aceh. They also choose to reside on beaches that are difficult for the public to access. Security on the east coast of North Sumatra is being strengthened to suppress the influx of Rohingya refugees.

The Chief of the Belawan Port Police Resort, Senior Commissioner Janton Silaban, said that there is a suspicion that the captain of a ship carrying refugees intentionally sank the ship after arriving in Deli Serdang. This was done so that they would not be refused entry into Indonesian Territory.##

Source: here