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REGULATORY GAPS AND LEGAL PROTECTION FOR INDONESIAN MIGRANT WORKERS PROFICIENT IN MANDARIN: A Review of Illegal Employment Practices

Dusturiyah: Jurnal Hukum Islam, Perundang-undangan dan Pranata Sosial · Vol. 16 No. 1 (2026) · pp. 130–144

DOI
10.22373/z2srd730
ISSN
2580-5363, 2088-9712
Published
2026-06-07
Publisher
Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Abstract

This study analyzes regulatory gaps and the effectiveness of legal protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers who possess Mandarin language skills and are vulnerable to illegal labor practices. Although Law Number 18 of 2017 establishes a protection framework for the pre-placement, placement, and post-placement stages, its implementation has not fully addressed vulnerabilities arising from informal recruitment, document forgery, and weak oversight of unregistered agencies. Using a normative legal method and a qualitative approach, this research evaluates regulations, employment contracts, BP2MI reports, and studies related to PMI placement in Mandarin-speaking countries. The findings indicate that while Mandarin proficiency can enhance employment opportunities, it also creates loopholes for exploitation, particularly through non-procedural channels that are difficult for consular services and diplomatic protection to reach. Limitations in inter-agency coordination further exacerbate these risks. This study recommends the need for bilateral regulatory harmonization, strengthened oversight based on language competence, enhanced transnational legal aid, and the application of John Rawls principles of justice to reinforce substantial protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

16 authors · 51 co-authorship links

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  • Diponegoro University
  • Affiliation unknown
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Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Hari Sutra DisemadiDiponegoro University4
Ampuan SitumeangAffiliation unknown4
Lu SudirmanAffiliation unknown3
Rufinus Hotmaulana HutaurukAffiliation unknown3
Winsherly TanAffiliation unknown2
Shelvi RusdianaAffiliation unknown1
Le Ho Trung HieuAffiliation unknown1
Winda FitriAffiliation unknown1
Ninne Zahara SilvianiAffiliation unknown1
Vicko TaniadyAffiliation unknown1
Windi AfdalAffiliation unknown1
Upankar ChutiaAffiliation unknown1
Abdul RachmanAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/dustur/oai, first harvested 7 Nov 2026, last seen 8 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">REGULATORY GAPS AND LEGAL PROTECTION FOR INDONESIAN MIGRANT WORKERS PROFICIENT IN MANDARIN: A Review of Illegal Employment Practices</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Kho, Candra</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Syarief, Elza </dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Tan, David </dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Indonesian Migrant Workers; Mandarin Language; Illegal Employment; Legal Protection; Regulatory Gaps.</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">This study analyzes regulatory gaps and the effectiveness of legal protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers who possess Mandarin language skills and are vulnerable to illegal labor practices. Although Law Number 18 of 2017 establishes a protection framework for the pre-placement, placement, and post-placement stages, its implementation has not fully addressed vulnerabilities arising from informal recruitment, document forgery, and weak oversight of unregistered agencies. Using a normative legal method and a qualitative approach, this research evaluates regulations, employment contracts, BP2MI reports, and studies related to PMI placement in Mandarin-speaking countries. The findings indicate that while Mandarin proficiency can enhance employment opportunities, it also creates loopholes for exploitation, particularly through non-procedural channels that are difficult for consular services and diplomatic protection to reach. Limitations in inter-agency coordination further exacerbate these risks. This study recommends the need for bilateral regulatory harmonization, strengthened oversight based on language competence, enhanced transnational legal aid, and the application of John Rawls principles of justice to reinforce substantial protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers. </dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-06-07</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:type xml:lang="en">Peer-reviewed Article</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/dustur/article/view/35081</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.22373/z2srd730</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">Dusturiyah: Jurnal Hukum Islam, Perundang-undangan dan Pranata Sosial; Vol. 16 No. 1 (2026): JURNAL DUSTURIAH; 130-144</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2580-5363</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2088-9712</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/dustur/article/view/35081/12954</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Candra Kho, Elza  Syarief, David  Tan</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>