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Jakarta Post

Letter: On immigration services

A few months ago I was stopped by an immigration official at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and informed my passport visa was out of order

The Jakarta Post
Wed, May 11, 2011 Published on May. 11, 2011 Published on 2011-05-11T09:34:49+07:00

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few months ago I was stopped by an immigration official at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and informed my passport visa was out of order. It required some stamp or other that should have been done — and paid for — before I came to the airport.

I have no idea what he was talking about — he may well have been right — but every time I go to the airport I expect something ‘new’ will be operative and some ‘new’ system will be in place.

I have yet to go through the procedures there without at least something being new and never experienced before.
I was told by this official that I could not leave the country because my visa had not been stamped. I asked if we could get it stamped at the airport. I was told a definite ‘no’. In the end, the correct (if such it was) stamp was applied and a fee paid. It may well have been an honest mistake, an oversight or who knows what. I simply don’t know. But it’s one thing to say it was impossible for me to leave the country and then be told, well actually we can find the stamp here and put your documents in order.

But more than that, what I found disturbing — and insulting — was the manner in which this matter was dealt with. I was told to follow the immigration official to an office and on the way to the office, walking through the airport, he held my documents above his head and called to other employees at the airport — pointing all the while over his shoulder at me with his thumb and ridiculing me. Others joined in the fun and everyone had a great laugh at my expense. I couldn’t believe it.

It is the first and only time in years of overseas travel that I have been ridiculed and insulted by a foreign official. His behavior was immature, unprofessional and totally unacceptable. He has obviously been poorly trained and as completely unaware of the standard of etiquette required of a state official in the performance of his duty.

The Indonesian government should be ashamed of these people who are often the only real contact foreigners have with Indonesian officials.

They are the guardians of the doors in and out of Indonesia.

Phillip Turnbull
Serpong, Banten

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