Jakarta, IO – People smuggling along the Indonesia-Australia border, particularly in the waters off Rote Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), poses a serious challenge to transnational law enforcement.
The vast waters and gaps in maritime surveillance are often exploited by international smuggling syndicates, which hire local fishermen’s boats to transport undocumented migrants to Australia. Many fishermen become involved because of economic hardship caused by climate change and declining fish catches, without realizing they are taking part in a serious transnational crime.
To address this vulnerability, Nukila Evanty, Chairwoman of the Indigenous Peoples’ Initiative (IMA) and the Coalition Against Organized Crime and Human Trafficking (The Coalition), has taken preventive action at its source. Through IMA, the advocacy focuses not only on border governance, but also on grassroots efforts to strengthen the economic capacity of coastal women on Rote Island.
Since April 2026, IMA has organized a series of intensive training programs for marginalized women’s groups on Rote Island, teaching them how to process locally-sourced seaweed into high-value products. The coastal women now produce a range of seaweed-based products, including shredded seaweed, pudding, chips, syrup, coffee, as well as personal care products such as soap and facial masks.
“When families have strong economic foundations, poverty, hunger, malnutrition and the financial incentives offered by people-smuggling syndicates lose their appeal. Border communities must be empowered so they can become “vigilantes” (guardians) of their own region,” said Nukila Evanty, who is also an expert in international law.
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To ensure the growth of these economic activities, IMA has also facilitated the establishment of the Rote Women’s Cooperative, created entirely at the initiative and request of local women.
In recognition of their achievements, Nukila will visit Rote Island in early August 2026, to inaugurate the women’s business group and open a bazaar featuring seaweed products made by residents of Oenggae and Papela villages.
The initiative is hoped to demonstrate that strengthening national resilience in Indonesia’s maritime border areas can begin with stronger household economies. (des)
