Leaders in Bali have revealed the latest deportation figures for foreigners in the province year to date.
While the vast majority of Bali’s over 4.5 million international arrivals in the year to August have been law-abiding and culturally respectful, Bali is committed to reducing the small but significant number of unruly visitors to the province.
The Bali Regional Office or the Ministry of Law and Human Rights has confirmed that between January and the end of September 2024, a total of 417 foreigners were deported from the province.
This is more than the total number of individuals deported in 2203, which came to just 335.
The Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Pramela Yunidar Pasaribu, published a press testament on the afternoon of Thursday, 26th September.
She explained that she and her teams are exercising a high degree of vigilance over the increasing number of foreigners in the province.
Pasaribu wrote, “The ‘Bali Becik’ surveillance operation that we have carried out intensively has succeeded in securing hundreds of foreign nationals, even resulting in administrative immigration action (TAK) in the form of deportation of 412 people.”
She called on auditories and communities across Bali to play an active role in upholding peace and order on the island.
Pasaribu wants to ensure that the authorities are responsive and consistent in dealing with disturbances caused by foreigners and reiterated that those who abuse the law will be dealt with firmly.
She wrote, “This [approach] has been proven [successful] by various deportation actions taken by Bali Immigration officers against foreign nationals involved in activities that are not beneficial to Indonesia or even detrimental to national interests.”
Immigration teams in Bali take a zero-tolerance approach to foreigners abusing their visas while in the province.
Visa abuse and misuse include offenses such as overstays, working without permission, traffic violence, theft, and fraud.
Pasaribu added, “The duties and functions of immigration by the Immigration Office in the Bali region have deported throughout this year without exception, including foreign nationals who violate ethics, do not provide a sense of peace and comfort for the surrounding community, and abuse residence permits and overstay. Deportation is carried out without exception.”
Pasaribu’s firm commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to visa violations comes just days after Bali Regional Secretary Dewa Made Indra called on Bali Immigration to be more selective with who they grants visas to.
Indra told reporters, “Friends at immigration must have an evaluation [of applicants], meaning that with [recent] incidents, they will be more careful and selective, it must be checked first.”
Indra’s comment came as a series of decorations took place from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, including the expulsion of two Russian citizens and a Ukrainian citizen who was found to be engaging in sex work while residing in Bali on tourist visas and investor visas.
Indra told reporters, “This is a lesson for agencies that issue passports and visas. Those are things that pollute our tourism, so firm action from immigration and firm action from our law enforcement officers must be appreciated, and we must support them.”
“There may be more; come on, friends who know, raise (the issue) so that the dirt on our tourism can all be removed.”
More deportations have taken place from Bali this week, following a busy September for immigration officials.
A 31-year-old Nigerian citizen was deported on Monday, 23rd September, after overstaying his visa by 16 months.
Known by his initials CSN, the man was accompanied to his flight by officials from the Denpasar Immigration Detention Center.
The Head of the Denpasar Immigration Detention Center, Gede Dudy Duwita, told reporters, “CSN was deported back to his home country in Lagos, Nigeria, under tight guard from Denpasar Detention Center officers to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.”
Duiwta concluded, “We want to ensure that Bali remains safe and comfortable for both Indonesian citizens and foreign tourists who come.”
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