REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BATAM -- Thousands of Indonesian migrant workers from Singapore and Malaysia return home for post-fasting Eid al-Fitr or Lebaran festivities through Batam, an immigration official said. Usually, some 10 thousand Indonesian return home for Lebaran when the Lebaran D-Day is approaching.

"It is difficult differentiate which of them are migrant workers and travelers. But we estimate half of them are migrant workers," Batam Immigration Head Lucky Agung Binarto said here on Sunday.

He said the number of arrivals from Malaysia and Singapore through the International Port of Batam Center jumped up as compared to the normal days. The immigration is therefore increasing its services.

"We have added the number of arrival and departure counters from 10 to 12," he said.

Binarto is convinced his office would be able to increase its service and handle passport clearance speedily with the increase in the number of counters.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Rusdi Kirana, on Friday was in Kuching to monitor the homebound travellers. "They use their ten-day-long holiday to go home, that's good," he stated.

Regarding the appeal not to use tongkang (wooden boats), he said, "Tongkang can hold only 30 people, I am not surprised if it breaks from excess load. I urge migrant workers to not use it for the trip home," he said.

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