The Sukabumi Immigration Office in West Java deported an American man with the initials ECC on Friday, the 31st of July, after receiving a report from the Sukabumi City Police that he had caused a disturbance in a residential area of the city while intoxicated.
“ECC holds a Visa on Arrival [VoA]. He was apprehended by residents early Wednesday [the 29th of July] for causing a disturbance when he was unable to enter the house he was renting. ECC was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Residents reported that ECC attempted to damage the property by banging on the door and fence while cursing at residents,” Henki Irawan, the Head of the Sukabumi Class I Non-TPI Immigration Office, said in a statement received by the press on Monday, the 3rd of August.
The residents, who were disturbed by ECC’s behaviour, detained him and reported the incident to the Sukabumi City Police. Several hours later, he was taken into custody by Sukabumi immigration officers and the police for questioning. Two days after the incident, ECC was deported via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on a Qantas Airways flight to Los Angeles, United States.
Irawan emphasised that immigration law enforcement will continue to be carried out professionally and proportionally, in accordance with applicable regulations. The Sukabumi Immigration Office will also continue to strengthen its oversight of the presence and activities of foreigners by collaborating with law enforcement agencies, local governments, and the community. This step is part of the “Immigration for the People” initiative, which aims to provide professional, accountable, and integrated immigration services and law enforcement.
“Every foreigner in Indonesian territory is obliged to respect applicable laws and norms and maintain public order. Therefore, we will follow up on every immigration violation as a form of commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty and creating a sense of security for the public,” he said.
Foreigners causing public disturbances have become a hot-button issue in recent weeks. Previously, the Directorate General of Immigration at the Indonesian Ministry of Immigration and Corrections reaffirmed its commitment to taking firm action against foreigners who commit crimes in Indonesia. The directorate asserted that any foreigner found to have violated the law will no longer face only administrative sanctions in the form of deportation and travel bans but will also face criminal prosecution, including imprisonment.
“This is our message to foreigners with bad intentions. Don’t imagine that they will simply be deported. We will charge them with criminal charges, [then] send them to jail,” Hendarsam Marantoko, the Director General of Immigration, previously said on the 21st of July.