Indonesia is a vast archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia, comprising over 17,000 islands and covering approximately 1.9 million square kilometers. The country's strategic location along major maritime routes contributes to its role as a transit point for refugees and migrants. Indonesia has the largest economy in Southeast Asia and has achieved significant economic growth since overcoming the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. The country has a presidential system in which the president, who is directly elected, serves as head of state and government.

As of January 2025, Indonesia hosts some 12,177 refugees and asylum-seekers from 53 countries, with the majority originating from Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Somalia. Roughly half of the population resides in and around Jakarta. The remainder live in urban and rural areas across the Indonesian archipelago, with a significant number of Rohingya refugees who have arrived by boat in recent years residing in northwest Sumatra.  
 
Indonesia is not a state party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol. Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 remains the key domestic legislation concerning refugees and asylum seekers, ensuring access to asylum and designating UNHCR a key role in managing asylum claims and solutions.  Indonesia’s National Refugee Task Force, established in 2019, plays a key role in managing refugee affairs. Members include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a wide range of security-focused entities.
 
UNHCR supports Indonesian authorities by undertaking registration, the provision of documentation, and refugee status determination for individuals seeking asylum in the country; provides protection and assistance to individuals requiring legal support, survivors of gender-based-violence, and children at risk; supports the most vulnerable refugees with cash, health, and education assistance; and facilitates durable solutions.
 
Despite significant progress in recent years, including through the issuance of important government directives, refugees are not fully included in Indonesian national systems and services. As a result, parallel humanitarian assistance systems have been established to help refugees address basic needs. As humanitarian assistance is not sufficient to support all refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia, many refugees and asylum seekers must identify resources – despite being unable to work legally in the country - to fund their housing, food, and other basic needs.  
 
Indonesia is a critical asylum country along the Southeast Asia maritime route and continues to show humanitarian leadership as the only country in the region consistently rescuing and disembarking refugee boats in distress. The response to maritime arrivals has been complicated by the ramifications of a targeted campaign of misinformation, disinformation, and hate that accompanied a surge of Rohingya refugee arrivals in late 2023 and 2024. Nevertheless, Rohingya refugees continue to disembark and those in need are hosted in temporary sites across Aceh, North Sumatera, and Riau provinces. It is anticipated that refugee boats will continue to seek safety and protection in Indonesia in the coming years.
 
Most refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia are from countries experiencing continued instability and insecurity, limiting prospects for voluntary repatriation. Local integration remains inaccessible for refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia. As such, third country solutions through resettlement and complementary pathways - including education, labor, and sponsorship pathways - remain the primary solutions available for refugees in Indonesia.