Illegal foreigners seem to have no chance of staying under the radar anymore. Just recently, we reported on massive raids in cafes, nightclubs, and restaurants, and shared how immigration officers are encouraging locals to report tourists who are making money on the island. Now, the crackdown has intensified even further. Inspectors have even reached Gili Trawangan, an island that, for some reason, many associated with complete freedom of action.
Moreover, according to social media, officials from the Directorate General of Immigration, headquartered in Jakarta, have also joined the inspections. As for the results of the visit to Gili, there is no detailed report yet on who was arrested and for what reason. It is known, however, that seven suspects in immigration violations were found.
In Bali, the work of deporting illegal foreigners is also in full swing. Recently, inspectors visited one of the expat schools where children were being taught mathematics, natural sciences, and the Indonesian language. On the surface, it looked like an ordinary villa in the Tibubeneng (Berawa) area, but it seemed too suspicious to the neighbors, so they filed a complaint with the immigration office.
"The villa is reportedly rented by a foreign couple from Switzerland, and one of the managers is a Turkish citizen," said Suhendra, head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office.
During the inspection, police discovered that the Swiss nationals arrived in Bali on July 19, 2024, on investor KITAS visas, while the Turkish citizen had been on the island on a tourist visa since June 25, 2024. Inspectors concluded that the foreign nationals were providing educational services without proper authorization. All three were summoned to the immigration office for further investigation, but none of them have appeared so far, according to the officers.
Other violators were successfully detained, such as a Ukrainian citizen with the initials D.L., who was caught red-handed in a shop in Ubud. There, he was instructing his staff on how to enter barcodes to determine product prices. Immigration officers deemed that he did not have the right to do this.
"D.L. is suspected of engaging in activities that do not align with his residency status. Moreover, he was unable to present his documents during the inspection," explained Rida Sah Putra, head of the Denpasar TPI Class I Immigration Office.
Authorities also detained an Indian citizen who was renting out Balinese villas to other foreigners through his social media. Four more Africans were detained for living with expired documents.
"It was determined that their stay exceeded the allowed period by anywhere from 60 days to 17 months. Three of them will be deported, and one Nigerian citizen, who could not present his passport, will face further detention," explained Rida.
Sex workers weren’t spared either. The head of the Bali Regional Office of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Pramela Yunidar Pasaribu, reported that during an operation conducted by the intelligence and immigration control department of the Denpasar Immigration Office, two Ugandan women and one Russian woman with the initials I.T. were arrested. They were tracked down through social media, and an undercover operation confirmed the suspicions.
During the search, officers found contraceptives, lingerie, and $200, which was allegedly used as payment for sex services. It is known that this money belonged to the informant who ordered the services of the prostitutes through an online site.
He also mentioned that various technologies and social media will be used for further monitoring, ensuring that only foreigners who contribute positively to the community life on the island will remain.
However, caution is advised, as the increased scrutiny of tourists and the growing panic among expats have also emboldened scammers. Business owners in Bali are at risk, as they have started receiving emails supposedly from the immigration office, asking them to urgently get in touch. If you engage with these people, they may steal your data or start extorting you.
The tax office has issued a warning about this, urging people not to trust such emails and to carefully verify the addresses they are sent from. Moreover, the official statement clarifies that tax inspectors themselves contact residents either in person or through traditional postal mail.
Incidentally, immigration control has been tightened not only in popular tourist areas but also in the north of the island. Violators of the visa regime have been unable to hide even there. The Singaraja Immigration Office in the Buleleng district has formed a task force to check on foreigners suspected of violating visa rules. In the first two days of work, nine people were detained: from Australia, China, Germany, Japan, and Romania. Their specific activities are not yet specified.
According to immigration data from Ngurah Rai, from January to August 11, 2024, a total of 86 people were deported, the majority from Nigeria—23 people, China—17 people, and the United States—12 people. Additionally, 71 people were denied entry to Indonesia, nine people had their residency permits revoked, and 121 foreigners were temporarily detained.
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