What is it about?
Many children of Indonesian migrant workers in East Malaysia face difficulties accessing education because of legal, administrative, and geographic barriers. This study examines how Indonesia uses soft power diplomacy to help protect these children’s right to education. Rather than relying only on formal government-to-government relations, Indonesia builds cooperation through education programs, schools, teachers, community organizations, and other institutions. These efforts include providing access to learning, supporting documentation, facilitating student placement, offering scholarships, and extending educational services to remote areas. The study shows how education can serve as an important instrument of soft power diplomacy, enabling Indonesia to protect its citizens’ children while strengthening cooperation with communities and institutions across national borders.
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Why is it important?
This study is important because it shows how education can function as a form of soft power diplomacy. While migrant children’s access to education is often viewed mainly as a social or humanitarian issue, this research highlights its broader diplomatic significance. By providing educational opportunities and working with schools, communities, and other institutions, Indonesia can protect the rights of migrant workers’ children while strengthening cross-border cooperation. The study offers a different perspective on diplomacy by showing that influence and international cooperation can also be built through education and the protection of human rights, rather than through formal political negotiations alone.
Perspectives
This research has strengthened my view that diplomacy can take place in everyday spaces, not only in formal meetings between governments. Studying the experiences of Indonesian migrant workers’ children in East Malaysia made me particularly interested in the role of education as a form of soft power. Providing access to education is not only about addressing a social and humanitarian need; it can also create trust, strengthen cooperation, and connect people across national borders. I hope this article encourages a broader understanding of diplomacy—one that recognizes education, communities, and human rights as important elements of international engagement. I also hope it will encourage further research on the rights of migrant children, as many important aspects of their lives and well-being remain underexplored and deserve further attention and development.
Asma Amin
Universitas Sulawesi Barat
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Protecting the Educational Rights of Children of Nonprocedural Indonesian Migrant Workers through Indonesia’s Soft Power Diplomacy, Diaspora Studies, August 2026, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/09763457-bja10259.
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