Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, Parlindungan, revealed that many foreign nationals from Russia and Ukraine have been stranded in Bali due to the ongoing war.
“After the Russia-Ukraine war began, many Russians and Ukrainians found themselves stranded in Bali,” Parlindungan said during a meeting with the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission XIII on Tuesday, February 25.
He added that some of these foreign nationals have violated local laws and caused disturbances within the community.
“This sometimes leads to issues and criminal behaviors within Bali’s society,” said Parlindungan, as reported by Kumparan.
The increase in the number of foreign nationals crossing into eastern Indonesia, including Bali, Makassar, Manado, Atambua, and Mataram, has been quite significant in the past year.
Throughout 2024, over 13 million foreign nationals entered Indonesia, with around 7 million of them heading to the eastern region. Specifically in Bali, nearly 50% of foreign nationals’ crossings in Indonesia took place.
Trigger Public Order Disruptions
“The high concentration of foreigners in Bali is evident from the number of crossings through air entry points to and from Bali, which accounts for 49.94% of the total national crossings, leading to risks such as the abuse of residence permits, fictitious investors, and disturbances to public order,” he explained.
As reported by Tribunnews, he also revealed that many Russian and Ukrainian foreign nationals have committed legal violations while in Bali. He assured that they will continue to monitor and take firm action if any of the issues escalate to criminal violations.
As reported by RRI, the influx of foreign nationals in Bali should ideally contribute to increasing national revenue and foreign investment. However, in reality, many foreign nationals coming to Bali do not necessarily bring positive outcomes.
“Foreign investments should be valued at over IDR 10 billion. Through cooperation with the Director of Immigration, Wasdakim, and the Acting Director General, along with the Capital Investment Coordinating Board, we have collected data on many foreigners doing business in Bali, but their investment values remain questionable,” he said.
Sources: Kumparan, RRI, Tribunnews.
Feat Image: via Getty Images