Social enterprise and promotion of safe migration among returned migrants: case studies of a credit union In Bone District of South Sulawesi Province Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the biggest sending countries of migrant workers in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, a significant number of these migrant workers have migrated in a way that is unsafe causing them to be victims of trafficking in the countries of destination. This research will attempt to: (1) examine the involvement of CSOs in promoting safe migration; (2) investigate the role of the Credit Union Pammase (CUP) in the promotion of safe migration through the implementation of economic security strategies; and (3) examine whether these strategies of CUP has promoted safe migration and prevented potential trafficked persons from being trafficked. This research draws on fieldwork conducted in one of the sending areas of Indonesia, the Bone District, South Sulawesi Province during the period of June - July 2013. This research argues that economic security became the main factor that influenced the future migration decisions of returned migrants. The paper concludes that CUP in the Bone District has not yet succeeded in strengthening economic security for its members. Instead, its contribution has only been to provide the members with a limited understanding of how to migrate to other countries in a safe and secure way. As a result, the members are still vulnerable to future trafficking. In addition, the problems of self-financing and management challenges are also two factors amongst others that prevent CUP to achieve its mission.