Indonesians tend to migrate to a variety of countries for work, including Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan, and more recently, Romania. These different destinations present varying economic incentives for migration. This study aims to explore how migrants make decisions regarding their preferred destination country. Specifically, we investigate the regional disparities in migratory routes from Indonesia and the factors influencing individuals' migratory decisions, which ultimately contribute to the emergence of distinct migration patterns. Using the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Board (BP2MI)’s labor migrant dynamic data from 2017 to 2022, we demonstrate that economic reasons do not singularly explain migratory decisions. We find no significant relationship between the unemployment rate and the sending rate (labor migrants per working-age population) (𝑟=-0.3951,𝑝=0.0225). Only a weak negative correlation was found between income and sending rate (𝑟=-0.0778,𝑝=0.6667). Instead, our findings indicate that personal background factors, such as gender, education, age, and marital status, exert substantial influence not only on migrants' inclinations but also on the selection of specific migratory routes for international labor mobility. Moreover, the choice of destination country for labor migrants varies depending on the sending region. Regardless of individual characteristics, workers from certain regions, such as West Sumatera, exhibit a higher likelihood of ending in lower-income countries. This suggests that well-established sending routes exist, prompting workers to preferentially move from particular regions to specific destination countries.

<p>Labor migration from Indonesia relies heavily on intermediaries, particularly migrant sending companies, which constitute a crucial part of the migration infrastructure. While recent research has increasingly focused on the facilitative role of intermediaries in channeling individual migrants' cross-border labor mobility, this study examines these intermediaries as distinct actors who have unique identities, exhibiting diverse resources and practices that significantly influence migrants' migratory trajectories. Based on extensive fieldwork data collected in Indonesia and dozens of interviews with representatives of a diverse sample of sending companies and migrant work seekers across different regions, this presentation sheds light on how sending companies' identities are shaped by their historical backgrounds, cultural values, and organizational history. These distinct identities are manifested in their transnational networks, their relationship with the governing bodies, the types of employment opportunities they offer, and their operational approaches in the migration business. We demonstrate how such varying identities of sending companies play a pivotal role in shaping migrant workers' migration trajectories, particularly in determining the choice of destination country, occupation, and the conditions under which they migrate. The existence of different sending companies creates specific channels that influence divergent migration paths to various countries pursued by migrant workers and their potential wellbeing.</p>

Understanding the determinants behind individuals' migratory decisions and their choices of overseas destinations remains a critical research area in the study of international migration. While early scholarship heavily emphasized economic factors and the push-pull model, contemporary research considers a broader range of structural and social influences. However, the question of how prospective migrants make decisions when presented with multiple destination choices remains insufficiently explored. Drawing on 29 interviews conducted with prospective Indonesian workers from main migrant sending regions in Java, Sumatra, and Lombok, we examine the factors that shape individuals&rsquo; migration choices. In particular, the observations highlight the significant role of community dynamics in migrants' decision-making processes, influencing both the decision to migrate and the selection of the destination country. Trusted information shared by family and relatives within the community plays a pivotal role, with physical proximity facilitating the exchange of crucial migration-related information. Additionally, the impact of returnees, who have invested their savings in constructing homes and businesses within the community, leaves a lasting impression on the decision-making process, guiding others towards specific destination choices.