The Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre deported a 50-year-old New Zealand national, identified by the initials AJM, on Friday evening, the 30th of January.
The deportation followed a ruling by the Denpasar District Court, which officially concluded the legal proceedings against him. In its decision, the court found AJM guilty of minor assault and sentenced him to 20 days’ imprisonment.
Head of the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre, Teguh Mentalyadi, explained that the case originated from an incident at a restaurant in the Ubud area back in September 2025. At the time, AJM was secured by officers from the Ubud Police, local pecalang and the Denpasar Class I Immigration Office after he refused to pay his bill, claiming that his Indonesian girlfriend had taken his ATM card, identified as NLS. The situation escalated into a dispute with the restaurant staff.
Following the incident, immigration authorities took immediate action at the time by revoking AJM’s Limited Stay Permit (Izin Tinggal Terbatas or ITAS), which was initially valid until July 2026, and transferring him to the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre.
While in detention at the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre, it was revealed that, back in August 2025, AJM had actually been reported to the Badung Police by NLS for allegedly assaulting the latter. As a result, the Badung Police requested that AJM’s deportation be postponed, a request submitted to the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration. Although it later emerged during the legal process that AJM suffered from bipolar disorder and required special treatment, legal proceedings continued until a final court verdict was issued on the 28th of January, 2026.
Following the completion of the criminal proceedings, the Badung Police submitted a recommendation for AJM’s deportation to the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration. This recommendation was subsequently acted upon by the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre, which deported AJM via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport under officer escort to Blenheim, New Zealand. The decision was taken after considering the entirety of AJM’s conduct, resulting in the imposition of an Administrative Immigration Sanction in the form of deportation, as stipulated under Article 75 paragraph (1) of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration.
In addition, the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre placed AJM’s name on the immigration blacklist, which automatically prohibits him from re-entering Indonesian territory for a certain period.
“Referring to Article 102 of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration, deportation sanctions for foreign nationals may be imposed for up to 10 years. In certain cases, a lifetime ban may be applied to individuals deemed to pose a threat to public security and order,” Mentalyadi said in a statement received by the press.