This paper provides an analysis of the financial burden that Indonesian migrant workers face when dealing with the government bureaucracy which originally intended to protect them. This burden weighs heavily on the workers and it encourages their exploitation by brokers and recruitment agencies. The paper also describes the consequences of a recent moratorium by the Indonesian government that bans Indonesians from working in 22 countries in the Middle East. It analyses the financial consequences and what it means for the prosperity of rural communities.