More than 1,000 Indonesian students were tricked into doing 'easy work with high salary' and then exploited in Germany

Many Indonesian students not only have to work hard with low income in Germany but also have large debts - Photo: REUTERS

According to SCMP , two recruitment companies based in Indonesia and two companies in Germany are said to have promised three-month internship programs with many easy-to-do, high-paying jobs for university students.

How students are deceived?

The companies say their internship program, called Ferienjobs (German for seasonal work), is part of MBKM, a program of the Indonesian Ministryof Education that aims to strengthen the connection between higher education programs and the needs of industries.

MBKM's activities include student exchanges, internships, teaching assistantships, research, volunteering, entrepreneurship, independent research projects, and community service programs in remote areas.

However, in October 2023, the Indonesian Ministry of Education confirmed that the Ferienjobs internship program is not part of MBKM.

In fact, after going to Germany, Indonesian students are sent to do unskilled jobs such as packaging, operating warehouses, selling fast food. Students only earn a small amount compared to the promised salary because the companies cut a large part of it.

Not only that, students are also in debt to the company because they are charged too much for airfare and accommodation in Germany.

Indonesian police have named five suspects in the case, including an economics professor from Jamni University on the island of Sumatra who is accused of tricking 87 students into taking part in the scheme.

“If I could turn back time, I would not have gone to Germany,” one of the victims from Jambi University, who asked not to be named, told SCMP .

From mid-October to late December last year, the student (let's call him Budi) worked at a warehouse of an international freight company in Bremen and was paid 13 euros per hour.

The main job is to sort packages weighing 30 - 40kg directly from containers.

Budi said he did not have time to research and translate the German contract, but since he was already in Germany, he signed it immediately. "I had no choice," Budi said, adding that he suffered bruises on his arms and legs and back pain from the heavy work.

Previously, at Jambi University, the Ferienjobs program brochure advertised that students could receive 20 credits and receive a monthly salary of 20-30 million rupiah ($1,259-$1,889), along with other benefits.

Not daring to tell family because of "shame"

The first unusual thing Budi recounted was that all 400 applicants were accepted during the school’s selection process. The entrance exam included psychological and English tests, but the difficulty was only basic.

The second clue came from the Jambi City Immigration Department. They suspected that the paid internship in Germany was a full-time job.

The immigration department required students to submit a letter of recommendation from the Indonesian Labor Agency. This took Budi a month to get his passport, three weeks longer than usual.

In addition, to get a work visa, Budi had to pay a total of 15 million rupiah ($945). Indonesian brokerage firm SHB bought a round-trip plane ticket for Budi for 24.8 million rupiah, nearly double the normal price.

The company charged Budi 600 euros a month in rent for his one-room apartment in Bremen, also double the usual rate. For his three months in Germany, Budi was paid 16 million rupiah ($1,006), far less than the 90 million rupiah he had been promised.

Budi had to endure the situation without daring to tell his family because he was "ashamed" and didn't want them to worry.

"At first I had no debt, now I owe tens of millions (of rupiah)," Budi said.

Regarding the incident, Indonesian police have begun an investigation.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lua-hon-1-000-sinh-vien-indonesia-viec-nhe-luong-cao-roi-boc-lot-tai-duc-20240329194811639.htm