Attachments
Operational Context
As of September 2024, Indonesia is host to 11,735 refugees and asylum-seekers (6,548 families) residing primarily in urban areas throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Almost half of all refugees and asylum seekers are from Afghanistan, followed by Myanmar, Somalia, and 49 other countries. UNHCR has a country office in Jakarta and field presence in Aceh, Medan, Makassar, Pekanbaru, and Tanjung Pinang.
While Indonesia is not signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, there are provisions for refugee protection embedded within domestic law (including the 1945 Constitution, the 1999 Human Rights Law, and the 2016 Presidential Regulation on the Handling of Refugees) and Indonesia generally respects the right to seek asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. UNHCR continues to work to advance opportunities for refugee inclusion and participation in Indonesia, including by seeking to improve access to self-reliance and to national education, health, civil registration, and social systems.
UNHCR supports the Government of Indonesia by undertaking core refugee protection functions, including registration, refugee status determination, gender-based violence prevention and response, child protection, legal protection, and the pursuit of durable solutions. Approximately 48% of the refugee population in Indonesia is residing in IOM-managed accommodation centers, established as part of the Regional Cooperation Agreement (RCA) between Indonesia, the Government of Australia, and IOM in 2000. 42% of the refugee population – largely those who arrived in Indonesia after 2017 – are living independently and, with the exception of the most vulnerable, do not receive financial support for food, rent, and basic needs. Approximately 10% of the refugee population is comprised of Rohingya refugees who arrived by boat in recent years and who are residing primarily in temporary shelters in Aceh and North Sumatra.
Indonesia’s National Refugee Task Force, established in 2019, remains an important Government entity in the management of refugee affairs. Deputy V in POLHUKAM is the head of the National Refugee Task Force and members include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a wide range of security-focused actors. Several local refugee task forces operate in provinces hosting refugees and remain active and important counterparts. UNHCR also works with a range of partners in Indonesia, particularly IOM, YCWS, and YKMI in several areas of protection and assistance. In addition, UNHCR works with nongovernmental, civil society and refugee-led organizations, as well as other UN agencies working with and advocating for the rights of the refugee population in Indonesia.