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Government cancels minimum balance for passport requirement
The Directorate General of Immigration at the Law and Human Rights Ministry on Monday cancelled a requirement for aspiring Indonesian migrant workers to have Rp 25 million (US$1,877) in a bank account when applying for a passport.
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A worker cleans windows at the South Jakarta Immigration Office. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira )
T
he Directorate General of Immigration at the Law and the Human Rights Ministry on Monday cancelled a requirement for aspiring Indonesian migrant workers to have Rp 25 million (US$1,877) in a bank account when applying for a passport.
Directorate General of Immigration spokesperson Agung Sampurno said that his office received a lot of objections about the regulation.
"The reason for eliminating the requirement was due to the analysis of our monitoring through media and our analysis was that this policy was not accepted very well," Agung as quoted by kompas.com.
"We think that we need to listen to the aspirations of the people. If this burdens the people, then the policy should be adjusted," Agung said.
(Read also: New passport rule stigmatizes, burdens migrant workers)
However, Agung said that the process for issuing passports will still be tightened to prevent illegal migrant workers.
The applicants are still required to attach general requirements, such as ID cards, family cards and birth certificates, and those who get passports for work are also required to attach recommendation letters issued by regional offices of the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry.
Another requirement is a medical check-up in a health facility chosen by the Health Ministry.
The government would also be more critical during interviews of the applicants.
Agung said that the applicants usually claimed that they are going to go abroad for a tour, a family visit, a minor haj, a non-quota haj, or an internship, while they were actually planning to work. (dis/wit)
