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iting economic benefits, Indonesia is slated to relax its visa policy next year for four countries known as sources of illegal immigrants bound for Australia.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are expected to enjoy easier entry to Indonesia starting at the beginning of next year, while Pakistan and Afghanistan will still have to wait for approval from several different agencies.

Foreign Affairs Ministry director of South and Central Asia Rizali Wilmar Indrakesuma recently said the plan to ease entry for citizens of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had been planned since last year.

“It [visa relaxation] will be effective at the beginning of 2012,” Rizali said.

A ministry official who declined to be named said the ministry was also trying to convince other agencies, particularly the Justice and Human Rights Ministry that oversees the immigration office, to provide similar facilities to Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Rizali, however, claimed that he had no knowledge of the plan.

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan are currently on the immigration red list of 13 countries whose citizens are feared to have the potential to create trouble for Indonesian law enforcers and intelligence officers.

Under strict scrutiny, visa applications for people from these listed countries take more than three weeks to process, with small chance of being approved.

However, according to Rizali, Indonesia no longer views Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as serious security threats given improvements that have been made in the security and economic circumstances in both countries.

“The issues that we have been worried about regarding these countries have declined. If they behave, we can grant them visa-on-arrival facilities,” Rizali said.

“Many businessmen from the two countries want to increase trade and investment relations, but they’ve found difficulties entering Indonesia.”

He also said the policy might not upset Australia. “If God’s willing, there won’t be any problem for Australia.”

Neighboring Australia has been struggling to contain illegal immigrants entering from Indonesian territory by wooden boats rented out by Indonesian fishermen allegedly in cooperation with officers from the military and law enforcement.

Immigration director general Bambang Irawan refused to comment on the issue.

One source with inside knowledge of the process, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the immigration office was uncomfortable with the visa relaxation policy demanded by the Foreign Ministry.

Several officials are concerned that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will still pose security threats, especially regarding human trafficking and asylum seekers who would use Indonesia in transit before heading to Australia.

According to the immigration office, only 10 percent of Sri Lankans legally entering Indonesia exited the country, while the remaining 90 percent could no longer be located.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees revealed that there were more than 2,800 refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia, most of whom came from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Sri Lanka and
Myanmar.

A wooden boat carrying 255 illegal Sri Lankans was stranded in Merak, Banten in 2009 and more than 70 people from Bangladesh were stranded in Sabang, Aceh, on their way to Australia.

Two weeks ago, a boat carrying about 250 illegal immigrants from Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia sank in waters off Prigi, East Java. The vessel was apparently on its way to Christmas Island, Australia.

International law expert Hikmahanto Juwana of the University of Indonesia urged the government to scrap the plan to ease entry, as Indonesia was a transit country for asylum seekers and people smugglers.

“If something happens, Indonesia will bear the responsibility. More money will also be needed to send them back to their own countries,” Juwana said.

“The decision will also upset our neighbor, Australia,” he said.