Securitization and Desecuritization of Migration in Indonesia: Its Implication to Refugee Rights in the Southeast Asian Region

Abstract

This paper is aimed at understanding the nexus between the securitization of migration and refugee protection by Indonesia within a regional context. By employing an analysis of the securitization of migration, this paper looks closely into a number of regulations, as well as practices by the government and civil society in Indonesia to identify the main rhetoric regarding migration and the migration of refugees. Furthermore, the recent activities of the government and civil society on a regional level is analysed using the same approach. The findings in this work suggest that the securitization of migration remains through utterances in the regulations and discursively within the actions of the government even when the human rights aspects of refugees are included in regulations or practices. The civil society discussed in this work to some extent has de-securitized refugees in Indonesia. On the regional level, nonetheless, the civil society’s contribution to humanitarian aid still has not necessarily challenged a securitization of migration. The paper does not identify all civil society organisations based in Indonesia working in this area, so the discussion does not represent the whole. The implication of refugee rights is indicated through the recent situations of refugees in the region. Their remaining vulnerability to detention and poor living conditions indicate that securitization of migration undermines refugee protection in the region.