The Directorate General of Immigration is set to expand its use of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) and drones, to strengthen the monitoring of foreign nationals.
Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko stated that the use of technology would become a crucial component of future immigration services and surveillance systems.
“Going forward, immigration operations will be 70% technology-driven,” Marantoko said while attending the inauguration of the Immigration Lounge service at Discovery Kuta Mall, Bali, on Thursday, the 27th of August.
The use of digital technology in immigration systems is already underway at several checkpoints. At I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, for instance, immigration screening uses facial recognition technology to record and identify individuals entering through the airport. This technology assists officers in matching travellers’ identities with their travel documents and immigration records. Meanwhile, AI has the potential to accelerate data analysis, identify risk patterns, and help determine which cases require further investigation.
In addition to AI, immigration authorities are monitoring foreign nationals using other digital technologies—such as drones—to map conditions in border areas. According to Marantoko, Indonesia shares 3,111 kilometres of land borders with neighbouring countries.
“We have a programme called ‘Digital Fence’, which uses drones in specific areas, particularly along unofficial crossing points. This allows us to monitor the movement of people entering and exiting,” he added.
The “Digital Fence” is designed to provide officers with real-time situational awareness. When a drone detects suspicious movement in an area inaccessible to routine patrols, the system transmits the location or coordinates to the nearest immigration post and security personnel. This preliminary information enables a faster response before a team is deployed to the field.
Furthermore, immigration authorities plan to utilise drone technology, which has been developed by Institut Teknologi Bandung (Bandung Institute of Technology) since 2019 and manufactured in collaboration with PT Dirgantara Indonesia. The system combines two types of unmanned aircraft: a High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) drone for long-range monitoring from an altitude of approximately 1,000 metres, and a Mantis drone for tactical approaches and visual inspections whenever the system detects activity requiring closer observation.