In December, a large-scale Operation Wirawasada took place across Indonesia — the immigration service simultaneously conducted raids in various regions of the country. Result: 2298 inspections and 220 foreign nationals detained for violations of immigration laws.
The head of the immigration service, Yuldi Yusman, released the statistics: 114 Chinese nationals (more than half of all those detained), 16 Nigerians, 14 Indians, 11 South Koreans, and 8 Pakistani citizens.
The main violation was working under the wrong visa or engaging in activities not aligned with the permitted type of stay: 92 individuals were caught this way. The second most common issue was overstaying: 32 foreigners overstayed their visas and remained in the country illegally.
In Denpasar, the operation was particularly active. Immigration officers visited kost accommodations and guest houses, checked visa types, durations of stay, and whether declared activities matched the reality. Foreigners living in Bali for a long time know: checks in houses with many expats occur regularly. But a coordinated raid across the entire country signals that control is becoming noticeably stricter.
Simultaneously, another operation took place — "Bhumipura Sakti Wiravasti Mining," targeting checks in industrial zones.
At the PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Central Sulawesi, 14,128 foreign nationals were checked in a massive nickel complex with thousands of Chinese workers and engineers. Over three months (from September to November), 408 ships with 7,945 foreign crew members passed through the port.
At the PT Indonesia Weda Bay (IWIP) Industrial Park in North Maluku, 26,650 foreigners were surveyed — another large nickel cluster with a massive presence of Chinese workers.
On Bangka Belitung, 37 dredging ships with 202 foreigners, mainly from Thailand, were found involved in tin mining. Many worked without the necessary permits.
If you live legally in Indonesia, there is nothing to fear. But the raids indicate that the days when one could stay on a tourist visa for years, work, or do business are coming to an end. The authorities are increasingly scrutinizing:
— the type of visa and whether it aligns with your actual activities;
— duration of stay;
— possession of the necessary permits.
The advice is simple: keep your documents in order. If you work, apply for a work visa. If you run a business, obtain the required licenses. If your visa expires, resolve the issue before facing an inspection.
If you don't have time to deal with bureaucracy, delegate the paperwork to an agency like Legal Indonesia. Legal status is not just a formality, but your safety and peaceful life in Indonesia.
Source: imigrasidenpasar, merdeka
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