According to reporting from Tempo, Silmy Karim, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, is reassessing the visa-on-arrival policy after reports of foreigners causing disturbances in Indonesia.
“We are currently evaluating the visa on arrival of the problematic foreigners’ countries of origin,” Silmy told Tempo in a brief text, quoted on Thursday (6/6/24.)
One of the countries includes Russia, where its citizens are often reported to local authorities for being disruptive. One example is Arthem Kothukov, who was banned from entering Indonesia after being deported twice. Another problematic Russian tourist is Vladimir Kasarski who broke into an ATM as recently as April 8, 2024. He was arrested by the local police who took his laptop, cellphone, clothes, and IDR 30 million in cash, according to Tempo.
Silmy stressed that the evaluation is only based on the troublemakers’ countries of origin. “No other (criteria),” he said.
It was previously reported that Immigration will handle the foreigners’ issue in Indonesia after twenty-four foreign nationals were arrested for overstaying.
Tempo says that an immigration patrol in Kuta on Tuesday, May 28 caught three Nigerians who overstayed for 60 days. Another twenty-one overstaying foreigners were arrested the next day, with nine failing to show their passports.
From January to May 2024, 91 foreigners were specifically prosecuted by the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, consisting of 56 people who overstayed and 35 who violated Indonesian law, reports Tempo.
Source: Tempo
Stock photo by Agus Dietrich on Unsplash
