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AKARTA: The Immigration Office has announced that 2,423 immigrants were deported to their respective countries of origin throughout the course of 2011 for immigration violations.

Spokesman for the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s directorate general for immigration, Herawan Sukoaji, said on Sunday that of the 2,423 deported immigrants, 693 had entered Indonesia illegally, tribunnews.com reported.

He also said 3,980 immigrants were currently living in Indonesia as asylum seekers and refugees.

According to Herawan, 2011 was a busy year for the Immigration Office, which served 1,095 foreigners who requested visitor permits, 3,743 who requested status changes from visitor permits to temporary stay permits, 1,108 who requested status changes from temporary to permanent stay permits and 1,280 who requested extensions of their permanent stay permits.

“In total, we served up to 7,226 people,” Herawan said.