The judicial authorities of Bali province and the human rights office of the immigration unit continue to monitor the behaviour of foreign nationals on the island, and the deportation of foreigners is intensifying, the Indonesian news agency ANTARA reported. The aim is to maintain security and order in compliance with the laws of Indonesia.

According to immigration records in Bali, from January to April 2023, about 101 foreigners were deported from Indonesia through Bali through Bali, and after the reopening of borders after the covid pandemic from May 2022 to December of that year - about 194. The deportees were mainly citizens of Russia, Nigeria and Ukraine.

The director of Bali's Provincial Human Rights Office, Anghiat Napitupoulou, said unscrupulous foreigners had abused residence permits. They overstayed the period set in their residence permits, committed criminal acts and violated the laws of Bali.

On December 8 last year, the Denpasar immigration authority arrested a Ivorian citizen who entered Indonesia using a 30-day visitor visa. The young man entered Indonesia in February 2019 and worked in Jakarta as a chef in African cuisine.

According to data from the Immigration Detention Center in Denpasar, while he was living in Indonesia, he also committed criminal acts related to the theft of financial data of people outside Indonesia. After the arrest, he was handed over to the detention centre because he could not be deported immediately because the offender's family did not have the money to facilitate his return to Côte d'Ivoire. The man returned to his country on May 16, 2023.

Two Russian citizens deported from Bali for wearing inappropriate clothing in a temple

Another case involved tourists from Russia who behaved indecently in the area of Pengubengan Temple, located in one of the largest temple complexes in the island – Besakih, Karangasem County.

A Ukrainian citizen entered Bali with permission for a limited stay as an investor, but instead worked as a masseur, serving mainly foreign tourists.

In order to enter Indonesian territory, foreigners must meet all the requirements for obtaining a residence permit. There are three residence permits in the country - a visiting permit, a limited stay permit and a permanent residence permit. The most common violations were committed by foreigners who took advantage of these options by posing as investors.

Based on data from the General Directorate for Immigration to the permit, foreigners must obtain a visit visa for a single trip with a duration of 60 to 180 days, and subsequently the deadline may be extended. In addition, there are multiple-entry visas for travel with a maximum period of 60 days for each arrival.

The visa for a visit worth 500 thousand. rupees (31 euros), is valid for 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 days. Currently, Indonesia provides this type of visa for tourists from 92 countries.

This visa can be used for various purposes, namely business trips and vacations, while the limited stay permit, especially for investors, lasts from one to a maximum of two years.

The Bali provincial government has drawn up a special regulation for local and foreign tourists to stay in Bali to prevent any security breaches.

The director of the Bali Tourism Service, Töck Bagus Pemayun, said his country had discussed the measure with representatives of the island's tourism sector, including the Indonesian Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs of Bali and the Indonesian Association of the Tourism Industry of Bali, before finalizing the regulation by the Law Bureau of the provincial government.

Later, the regulation will be printed on brochures in English and Indonesian, after which it will be distributed to tourists.

The Indonesian statistics office noted that foreign tourist arrivals to Bali peaked in 2019, bringing the total to 6.3 million, the Indonesia Business Post reported.

Arrivals fell to around one million foreign tourists in 2020 and were at their lowest point in 2021 due to the covid pandemic. An increase in visitors from other countries marks 2022, reaching 2.3 million people as coronavirus cases began to decline.

Due to the decrease in the number of cases, the Indonesian government decided to reopen Bali to foreign tourists, which was followed by a large number of visits to the island by domestic and foreign tourists. However, the restoration of tourism in Bali has encountered difficulties due to the actions of some visitors.

Law enforcement officials in Bali regarding tourists behaving incorrectly to the norms call for support from all parties, including the general public and sites directly related to tourism.

All this aims to ensure that foreign tourists comply with Indonesian laws and respect local customs and culture in Bali in order to support the higher quality of tourism on the island.

tightening control