Indonesia and Greece have entered formal discussions to strengthen bilateral cooperation in manpower, aiming to expand opportunities for Indonesian skilled workers within the European nation.
- Deployment Goal: Indonesia aims to send 300,000 to 500,000 skilled workers abroad starting in April 2026.
- Strategic Shift: Focus is moving away from domestic work toward specialized roles in hospitality, healthcare, and welding.
- Economic Impact: Remittances reached Rp212 trillion (US$13.6 billion) through the third quarter of 2025, a 38.6% year-on-year increase.
Deputy Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Christina Aryani met with Greek Ambassador Dimitrios Michalopoulos in Jakarta on Monday, April 20, 2026, to discuss the growing demand for labor in Greece, particularly in the hospitality sector.
Aryani is seeking Greece’s support to accelerate a formal government-to-government agreement on worker placement through a memorandum of understanding. She described the effort as a concrete step in employment diplomacy to provide a clear and legal pathway for professional careers abroad.
Expanding Opportunities for Indonesian Skilled Workers
The Jakarta meeting follows a visit to Athens in November, where Aryani met with Greek Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum Sevi Voloudaki and various recruitment agencies. Those talks signaled Greece’s interest in building a structured labor partnership.
Both nations have agreed to accelerate discussions to draft cooperation frameworks, align requirements, and improve job-matching systems.
On a broader scale, Indonesia is preparing to deploy between 300,000 and 500,000 skilled workers to various global destinations. Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar confirmed that departures will be phased across April, June, July, and September 2026.
Target destinations include Japan, South Korea, the United States, and various European countries. The government is prioritizing sectors such as healthcare, welding, and hospitality.
To support this transition, the SMA/SMK Go Global programme equips high school and vocational graduates with skills tailored for international markets. The government has set a minimum requirement of high school or vocational education to ensure workers secure specialized roles rather than domestic tasks.
Indonesia’s migrant worker placements have shown strong momentum, exceeding annual targets by mid-December 2025 with more than 286,000 workers placed, representing 110.5 percent of the goal.
The Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers stated it remains committed to ensuring that all overseas employment processes are regulated and free from irregular recruitment practices.
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