It is clear that Bali Immigration teams are not playing around when it comes to catching and holding to account foreigners who have been found to be abusing the visa system in the country.
Bali’s Denpasar Immigration Office has just confirmed the arrest of six foreigners found to be violating the conditions of their visas in big ways.
All six of the foreigners in question are now subject to immigration administrative action in the form of deportation and detention based on Article 75, paragraph 1 of Law No. 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration. The foreigners were paraded at an Immigration Department press conference held on Tuesday 4th February, all will be deported in the coming days.
Officials have confirmed that the six men all from the UK, Canada, Ghana, and India and were detained on individual and unconnected charges. The Head of the Denpasar Immigration Office Ridha Sah Putra, explained that the six men were arrested as a part of a targeted operation. He revealed that the British citizen, known by his initials KSM, was arrested on the grounds of missing his visa to run an illegal motorcycle rental business in Nusa Penida.
Putra told reporters “KSM has a visit residence permit that is valid until February 11, 2025. However, he instead runs a motorcycle rental business that is not in accordance with the permit he has.”
In Indonesia, any kind of visa is often referred to and directly translated to ‘residence permit’, even if the foreigner in question is not using said visa to be a formal, permanent, or long-term resident in the country.
KSM is believed to have been operating the business for the last 6-12 months, renting out three to four motorcycles for around IDR 150,000 a day.
Immigration officials were aware that KSM is married to his Indonesian citizen wife, but that nevertheless, he did not a Limited Residence Permit (ITAS) which allows foreigners to work or do business in Indonesia based on Article 61 of Law No. 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration.
Also in the lineup was Canadian citizen CBY, who was arrested by South Denpasar Police after he was suspected of conducting theft at an art store in the beach resort of Sanur. He, like KSM, will be deported.
The Ghanan national, known by his initials RM, was arrested by immigration officials after he overstayed his visa on arrival by nearly six years.
RM is known to have entered Indonesia on a 30-day visa on arrival back in 2019 and was arrested after public reports about his behavior.
Three Indian nationals completed the group of six deportees. The three men were working together and were arrested at a house in Sidakarya in South Denpasar as part of a joint mission by Immigration, BAIS, BIN, and Intelkam Polda Bali.
The three men have been found guilty of operating a visa scam operation, targeting Indian nationals within India, and falsifying visas and work permits to Canada.
Purta confirmed, “Their mode is to contact the victim in India via video call and offer visa-making services and travel tickets to Canada. The victims who were deceived were nine people with a total loss of IDR 3 billion.”
Purta confirmed to the press, “We continue to increase surveillance with selective policies. Only foreigners who provide benefits and do not endanger public order are allowed to live in Indonesia.”
He also called on the public to play an active role in reporting alleged immigration violations so that Bali remains a safe and high-quality tourist destination.
Foreigners in Bali are reminded that it is illegal to work or conduct income-generating activities in Indonesia on a visa on arrival, or socio-cultural visa.
Foreigners using pre-investment and investment visas in Bali must also be extremely mindful of the activities that they take part in and be aware that immigration teams are actively monitoring the activities of foreigners using these visa categories, especially due to the sharp rise in the number of people, reported to be abusing the system.
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Randy
Sunday 9th of February 2025
These foreigners have been caught knowingly well what they did was clearly illegal in Indonesia. Overstaying, misusing their visas, and committing fraud. A visa is a privilege and NOT a right. If you are using a visa for a different purpose other than what you are supposed to use within the agreement, then you are breaking the law. No one is above the law no matter how a foreigner may feel entitled.
There was an article about 20,000 Indian students who disappeared after arriving in Canada. Go figure on that one!! Google it.
And in the pattayamail, the popular beach in Thailand is facing challenges with large groups of Indian tourists seeking a place to rest or to sleep on the beach. Tourists and local Thais raised concerns over safety, inconvenience, overcrowding and cleanliness. The Thais saw this as lacking the respect for local regulations. Hope this does NOT happen in Bali as well. Sigh.
Andrew
Wednesday 12th of February 2025
@Randy, Indians are invading basically the whole world and causing the same problems everywhere they go. The whole world needs to deport Indians back to India.
Shorty
Tuesday 11th of February 2025
@J West,
Crap - your comment.
Shorty
Tuesday 11th of February 2025
@J West
Stop crapping on.
Randy
Tuesday 11th of February 2025
@J West, thanks for the update as I already know as much from the Indians themselves.
But as news get revealed it may be Myanmar people with darker skins that may look Indians. Who knows if that’s anything is true.
J West
Monday 10th of February 2025
@Randy, Indians in particular are very happy to crap on the tideline at beaches in full sight of everyone. This is not restricted to Bali, we see this everywhere there's an Indian diaspora....in western countries as well.
Canada is not immune from these beach crappers. In India it's not unusual to see crappers squatting between parked cars along busy urban sidewalks in full view. Could this be described as the habits of a 'crappy' culture?
Mark Whiting
Sunday 9th of February 2025
Well I'm very pleased to hear that they're targeting those that abuse the system, it's good to see, and sadly, it seems those that are committing these crimes, including bag snatching are not from Bali itself, and are the ones who happen to be foreigners, I'm due to go to Bali for a holiday from Australia, and I would like to think that the Majority of people would do the right thing, but as they say, it only takes a small minority who do the wrong thing, are the ones spoiling it for the majority.
I have also heard of cases, and I try not to generalize here, but I've heard of some women, African women hanging around in packs at night around the party district of Kuta targeting unsuspecting men going back to their hotels after midnight, chatting them up only to have their wallets, mobile phones stolen, from what I've heard they seem to be working in groups, the police need to be on the lookout for these people, although I've not been to Bali yet, I've watched YouTube Videos where people have warned about things like this, from what I've also heard, it's not so much during the day these things happen, it seems to be happening after sunset at night, that's where the police should be concentrating their efforts at night, to make sure those that have had a little too much to drink, get back to their accommodations safely without getting mugged/robbed by these so-called roaming groups of ladies, who no doubt has a so-called boss in the background to make sure that his merch doesn't get harmed, which can get dangerous, and that so-called boss could also be a foreigner as well.
Once again, well done to the Indonesian Police force for cracking down on these people, keep up the good work.
Andrew
Wednesday 12th of February 2025
@Mark Whiting, you are not wrong, on my last trip I saw my visa overstayers and illegal working African women that where offing prostitution and pickpocketing during the day in Kuta.
Bali needs to crack down on illegal Africans badly. When applying for a visa as an Australian the Bali authorities want proof we've got enough money and tickets home...
Why not for these people? The clearly arrive with nothing and no means to survive or leave...
Shorty
Tuesday 11th of February 2025
@Susan smith,
Bullshit, but if that's your attitude we don't want you here.
Randy
Tuesday 11th of February 2025
@Susan smith, another misinformation
Randy
Monday 10th of February 2025
@Mark Whiting, Safety concerns is understandable!! Not a good image for Bali especially when a minority of foreigners visiting Bali may find a loophole to do crimes here. The police and immigration officers need to do more than being TOO SOFT ON CRIMES COMMITTED BY FOREIGNERS!! NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW. In Western nations, crimes committed by foreigners will NOT be tolerated as well. The knife cuts both ways.
Susan smith
Monday 10th of February 2025
@Mark Whiting, better not come to Bali. Balinese are not friendly at all.
Peter
Sunday 9th of February 2025
Well done guys
Exp
Sunday 9th of February 2025
"KSM is married to his Indonesian citizen wife, but that nevertheless, he did not a Limited Residence Permit (ITAS) which allows foreigners to work."
It does not matter. ITAS is a stay permit issued by Immigration. If working for an Indonesian entity then a work permit is needed as issued by the Ministry of Manpower.
Even if married to an Indonesian and having a spouse ITAS still means no work allowed. It is a human rights to work and support family, but in Indonesia there is endless red tape to prevent foreigners doing so.
Shorty
Monday 10th of February 2025
@Exp,
So what? He knew the regulations and procedures and chose to ignore them.
Randy
Monday 10th of February 2025
@Exp, endless red tape?? He needs to find a suitable work permit unless he is not educated enough to understand the law or not enough money to use a visa office/lawyer to process his application. Why do you think he rents out motorcycle?? A low level type of work by a foreigner in Indonesia that any Indonesian can do. What does this tell you instead of pointing the finger at the Indonesian bureaucracy... Do you think Australia is any better with their immigration process? Right now it seems that some foreign people with some type of legal working permit are moving out because they can be a burden later on the healthcare system when one of the spouse health is deteriorating. So much for human rights that are supposed to maintain morality and conditions of life eh...sigh.
Shorty
Monday 10th of February 2025
@Exp,
Like it or not it's the law. He knew and chose to ignore it.