Regencies to act against visa violators

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 11/02/2007 4:55 PM  |  National

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The Badung and Denpasar administrations will establish a coordination team to track foreign citizens staying in the two regencies, an immigration official said Thursday.

Denpasar Immigration Office head Mangatas Napitupulu said that Bali, which has a large number of expatriate residents, needed a special coordinating body involving various agencies to reduce the number of visa violation cases.

""The two regencies have responded positively to the suggestion. The law has ordered the establishment of such a body since 1995, but it has not yet been established in Bali,"" Mangatas told The Jakarta Post.

Badung and Denpasar are the most crowded regencies on Bali.

The number of expatriates living in Bali is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, although the Bali Labor Agency recorded only 1,385 last year.

Bali's expatriate community is mostly concentrated along the southern coastline from Sanur to Seminyak, as well as in the center of the island in places such as Ubud.

""I hope that the team can reduce the abuse of the tourist visa for other purposes to prevent undesirable consequences,"" Badung regent A.A. Gde Agung said on Tuesday, adding that the policy was important for the security of the regency.

The official number of expatriates working in the region is 233 in Badung and 200 in Denpasar. The actual figures, however, are assumed to be higher as many expatriates are alleged to use tourism visa to work or open businesses in Bali.

""We can only guess on this. But the allegation is reasonable, considering the rising number of foreign tourists entering Bali,"" Mangatas said.

Gde said he hoped that with the establishment of the oversight body, the administration could find out the actual number of expatriates residing in his region.

Mixed marriage between foreigners and local Balinese people are quite common and many couples stay in Indonesia.

""That is one of the most common causes, besides negligence, of visa violations,"" Mangatas said.

The Bali-chapter of Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Association (Asmindo) has long complained about ""illegal expatriates"" who export Balinese art.

The association's head, I Ketut Alit Wisnawa, said some expatriates married Balinese so they could run their businesses here.

""They usually work together with the locals, or even marry Balinese women,"" he said.

Mangatas said the team would involve immigration offices, tourism agencies, labor agencies, the administrations legal divisions, the police, the military and the sea authorities.

""The team can asses places where or times when a raid on visa offenders is necessary,"" he said.

He said the team would check the validity of the documents held by expatriates and will deport those who have been proven to have violated the terms.

""I really hope that the program can work and each institution will cooperate,"" he said, adding that the raid should be carried sympathetically so as not to spoil the sensitive tourism industry.

Badung administration spokesperson Putu Eka Merthawan said the administration would establish the team immediately.

Mangatas said the time needed to develop the body heavily depended on the commitment of the administration and the legislators to regulate residing foreign citizens.

""But it normally takes about only two months,"" he said.

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