Anggiat Napitupulu, Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights for Bali Province, has stated that the percentage of deportations of foreign nationals has currently decreased.
Napitupulu made this announcement after participating in a flag ceremony and the 78th birthday celebration of the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights, held in the courtyard of the Special Class I Immigration Office in Denpasar on Monday, 21st August 2023.
Napitupulu explained that this decline can be attributed to the increased awareness among foreigners regarding their conduct while in Bali. This awareness has particularly grown after the issuance of Circular Letter No. 4 of 2023 by the Governor of Bali, which provides guidelines for “Do and Don’t” travel for tourists.
“Following the implementation of these guidelines for foreign nationals visiting Bali, there has indeed been a decrease in violations, as evident from his presentation,” Napitupulu explained.
Napitupulu compared the situation, stating that during the first semester of the year, from January to June 2023, there were numerous violations committed by foreigners. However, following the launch of the “Do and Don’t” and tour guidebook, violations of Balinese customary and cultural norms have significantly reduced.
“From January until now, we have deported more than 206 people, but the number of deportations from 1st July until now is less than 10 people,” Napitupulu reported.
However, Napitupulu noted that there are still some violations being committed by foreigners in Bali, although violations of norms have substantially decreased. Some of these violations are purely related to immigration, such as overstaying and the misuse of residence permits.
“The violations we are currently encountering are primarily immigration-related, with most cases involving overstaying and engaging in activities that are not in accordance with their residence permits,” he explained.”