ABSTRACT
This research examines the alignment between the Serang Regency Government's pre-departure migrant policies and the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study's key contribution lies in analysing local policy dynamics and identifying opportunities to improve the well-being of migrant workers, particularly in relation to SDG 8.5 (decent work and economic growth) and 8.8 (protection of labour rights and safe working environments). Serang Regency, as the largest contributor of migrant workers from Banten Province and one of Indonesia's main migrant sources, faces significant challenges. It ranks 15th in the Indonesian Migrant Complaint Statistics, with deportation emerging as the most common issue in 2019, indicating frequent legal violations committed by migrants abroad. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of pre-departure policies. Since migrant governance aligns with the United Nations SDGs, there is a pressing need for Serang Regency to implement robust and informed predeparture policies. Through interviews with stakeholders, this study evaluates the coherence of Serang Regency's migrant predeparture policies (2020–2022) with SDG principles. The findings reveal that while notable policy reforms have been introduced, further improvements are needed in predeparture training quality and reducing misinformation among prospective migrants.
