Revisiting socio-economic disadvantages: Analysis of social exclusion in Papua, Indonesia

This research is rooted in the increasing in-migration rate, the incidence of poverty, and the issue of the marginalization of indigenous people in Papua. By conducting secondary data analysis of SUSENAS 2018 data, this study aims to compare the socioeconomic situation of the migrants and non-migrants. The findings enable the further identification of marginalization under the social exclusion framework. The initial results show that the natives face socioeconomic disadvantages when compared with the migrants in terms of education, occupation, and income. Meanwhile, the demography dimensions—such as age, sex, marital status, and residential area—become reference variables that facilitate further comparative analysis of the socioeconomic status of migrants and non-migrants. Furthermore, the analysis of the social exclusion in terms of the income, service, and participation dimensions demonstrates that non-migrants have been socially excluded in these three dimensions. Hence, exclusion has led the natives into marginalization. This marginalization has become structural and has not occurred as a direct result of in-migration events to Papua; however, the migrants’ superior education enables them to achieve a better livelihood than the natives, thus exacerbating the marginalization process. Therefore, this study suggests focusing affirmative action on non-migrants by improving their education and skill levels and opening up the labor market to improve the well-being of the Papuan people.