High Level Bali Immigration Officers Will Be Equipped With Firearms

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The Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration, Silmy Karim, has confirmed that he has granted permission for high-level immigration officers to carry firearms.

The news comes as part of a nationwide effort to improve the level of security and protection offered to immigration officers serving in airports, immigration offices, and out on operation. 

Silmy Karim has confirmed that Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration has been ratified to grant permission for certain officers to carry firearms.

Karim has explained in a press statement that the decision was made due to the increasing risks faced by immigration officers.

There have been calls for immigration officers in specific sectors of the agency to be offered more security after a Densus 88 Anti-Terror officer was stabbed during an immigration operation in April 2023. 

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Karim wrote, “High work risks also lurk for immigration officers who guard the country’s borders, especially in conflict-prone areas. Officers often secure dangerous transnational criminals, so the use of firearms is needed as self-protection and to ensure officers can catch the perpetrators.”

He has noted that the increased volume of work for the immigration agencies to deal with has also posed increased security threats.

According to data shared by Karim, in 2024, the number of immigration operations increased by 124% between January and September compared to the same period in 2023. 

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Karim added, “We see references from other countries whose immigration functions are already advanced. Such as Singapore, the United States, Germany, Australia and Malaysia. Immigration officers in these countries are allowed to use firearms, of course, with very strict rules.”

He confirmed that the Indonesian government is allow the permission for immigration officers to use firearms through a ministerial regulation.

This permission has only been granted after going through a comprehensive public review and a testing phase. 

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Karim concluded, “With this new responsibility, we will determine strict criteria for officers who are entitled to carry firearms, as well as clear procedures for use, including limitations. For now, we have not implemented (the use of firearms) because we are still waiting for the derivative regulations.”

Karim and the Indonesian Ministry for Immigration have not announced when or where officers will be deployed carrying firearms.

The general announcement comes to help the public, tourists and foreigners in Bali and across Indonesia be aware that they may see officers carrying firearms during regular security patrols and operations in airports, transport hubs, and at immigration offices. 

Indonesia is doubling down on its commitment to crack down on unruly foreigners in the country, especially in provinces like Bali.

The latest figures show that Bali Immigration has already deported more foreigners in the year to September than throughout 2023. In 2024, so far, 417 foreigners have been deported.

Last week, the Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Pramela Yunidar Pasaribu, published a press statement outlining the agency’s recent operational work.

Pasaribu explained, “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 a collective effort from government agencies and the public to help maintain law and order in the province.

Pasaribu added, “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.”

Indonesia’s Immigration Department has confirmed that while deportations are up, so is the overall number of foreign arrivals in the province.

In a social media post, Indonesia Immigration explained, “Data on crossings at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali between January-August 2023 and January-August 2024 shows a significant increase in the arrival of foreign nationals (WNA).”

“In 2023, during that period, 3,641,896 foreign nationals entered Bali. Meanwhile, in 2024, during the same period, there was a 22.62% increase in arrivals to 4,465,685 people.”

They add, “The number of foreign nationals who crossed out (departures) was 4,481,939 people, so the total number of foreign passengers crossing Ngurah Rai Airport Bali during January-August 2024 reached 8,947,264 people.”