DENPASAR, Bali: Indonesia’s resort island of Bali has deported more foreigners in the first seven months of this year than the whole of last year, with an expert noting that the immigration policy is likely to deter those who come to Bali to work illegally.
“Last year, in one year alone, 188 people (were deported). It’s only July 2023 and already 198 people (have been deported),” Bali Ministry of Law and Human Rights head Anggiat Napitupulu was quoted as saying by CNN Indonesia on Sunday (Aug 6).
He noted concerns that an increasing number of visitors would lead to more violations in Bali.
“The violations are increasing … The number of foreigners who came last year was still below 2 million. Now up till July alone, it is already 2.6 million people,” he reportedly said.
“In the future, it is worrying because the more the people who come, the higher the potential for violations.”
The top three most deported foreigners are from Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Mr Napitupulu reportedly said that the most common violation is overstaying, followed by illegal work.
Dedi Dinarto, lead Indonesia analyst at public policy advisory firm Global Counsel, told CNA that the policy is likely to deter foreigners who intend to come to Bali to take up illegal work.
“Despite law enforcement in Indonesia being lax, the immigration policy is somewhat more stringent, and tourists who overstay could easily be identified by the immigration system and database,” he said.
He added that the increasing number of deportations has not meant anything to Bali’s tourism sector.
This is particularly since figures from Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics suggest that foreign arrivals have continued to increase in number since the reopening of the border after the pandemic, he said.