Regulatory (Mal)Integration: Its Implications for Migrant Workers’ Ability to Access Employment Rights in Indonesia

Abstract This paper discusses the understudied situation of legally-resident migrants and their (in)ability to access employment rights that are otherwise available to Indonesians. In our analysis of the relevant institutional architecture and processes, we approach the issue of integration from a regulatory perspective. We used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how migrants as high-income workers interface with the labor dispute resolution system in Indonesia. Our findings demonstrate the mal-integrated nature of Indonesia’s regulatory system in relation to migration and employment and its consequences for migrant workers’ ability to lodge grievances and avail themselves of their employment rights.