Immigration Clampdown?

[Ruserious]

Hi all....i have received this by email from several people saying that immigration going to have a clampdown next week. Personally i think the idea of having to carry around an original passport at all times is crazy but i guess no choice?


IMMIGRATION OPERATION FOR MONITORING FOREIGN NATIONALS THROUGH OUT INDONESIA, DURING 27 – 29 DECEMBER 2017

Enforcement Control of Immigration Officer together with TIMPORA throughout Indonesia will be conducting Inspection simultaneously on the 27 -29 December 2017. Targeted places for inspection are:

1. Company / Office,
2. Hotel,
3. Apartment,
4. Community House,
5. Inn.

This operation is carried out in the framework of enforcement of immigration law as well as creating national stability especially, in the case of the existance and activities of foreign nationals throughout Indonesia.

Impact and Suggestions devoted to December 27th until the end of New Year 2018:
Every expat is advised to always carry Original Passport along with its ITAS online printout.

• Home address stated in ITAS Online should be correct with the current home address.
• Should there is a change of residence, even moving apartment number (Same apartment), they should process address mutation immediately.
• Expatriate that only have free visit visa/Visa on Arrival is to avoid being in Office area or short visit to site/factory.
• For Expatriate holding a free visit visa / VoA / Single Entry Visa / Multiple Entry Visa to pay more attention towards their visa expiration date, to avoid any overstay.

 

[Bad_azz]

Seems us ITAP holders are being ignored- hmm should we be offended or just pleased?

 

[lifelongexpat]

creating national stability especially, in the case of the existance and activities of foreign nationals throughout Indonesia

Are they trying to say foreign nationals are detrimental to national stability?

 

[William King]

An email in English? Was there a BI version? Stamped and signed?

Without an official letter attached I'd be inclined to dismiss and ignore it.

 

[tokektokek]

An email in English? Was there a BI version? Stamped and signed?

Without an official letter attached I'd be inclined to dismiss and ignore it.

I would have to agree with this.

While it could indeed be an email from someone with information about a genuine immigration crackdown, it could also be false information.

It could be someone making up stories to stir up a bit of drama, or could even be something more sinister, such as an organised gang - the organised gang could send out these emails to get non-Indonesians to carry their passports on them, and then send in members to rob people who don't look Indonesian - knowing that they are likely to have their passports on them. The passports could then be used for fraudulent purposes.

Of course, those are just possibilities, and the email could be genuine, but I would be very weary of things like that.

 

[Ruserious]

It came from a few sources including a couple of moving companies. Of course its not official and if they were to give official warnings wouldnt that ruin the point of it? My take on it is ignore it if you want no issues but better to tell people if you hear rumours like this and then let them make up their own minds. I believe it was last year or the year before when they did exactly this kind of clampdown at this time of year. Fortunately it was at places like Jl. Jaksa where i never go to anyway. Personally i will never carry my passport with me.

But also to be honest the idea that this is by an organized gang is ludicrous and i think tokektokek has been watching too many movies.

 

[scouser59]

I agree any news which gives a "heads up" to the members is useful , even if it proves to be incorrect.

 

[Jamu]

Anyone in compliance with the immigration laws has nothing to worry about, so I don't really see what the big deal is. Are there really that many scofflaw expats in Indonesia?

 

[lifelongexpat]

Are there really that many scofflaw expats in Indonesia?

Loads if you look hard enough...

 

[scouser59]

Loads if you look hard enough...

Indeed , check out bali ! all kinds of dodgy characters .

 

[Davita]

Indeed , check out bali ! all kinds of dodgy characters .

I beg to differ....I'm currently in Jakarta....

btw My adversary from another forum (Paul Hoffman) did not get his Xmas 15 day reduction of sentence due to his attempted escape....I guess he can now stay in Bali longer before he gets deported,

 

[scouser59]

We shall sleep safe while your off the island ,

 

[Smallworld]

Anyone in compliance with the immigration laws has nothing to worry about, so I don't really see what the big deal is. Are there really that many scofflaw expats in Indonesia?

Yes, mainly Chinesse.

 

[Ruserious]

You can be in full compliance and still get taken in and held for a while for not carrying original passport or Kitas. I'm sure this is just an immigration extortion racket.
http://indonesiaexpat.biz/other/info-for-expats/immigration-raids-on-expatriates/

It seems though that they always raid the same areas like Blok M or Jaksa. Best just to avoid these areas (they are best avoided anyway).

 

[steveandpenny]

I was at the immigration office today to pick up my passport and asked about this. I was told it wasn' a good idea to carry my passport around. Told me my e KITA on my phone would be fine with my indo drivers lincene . If there was a problem I might have to go home and bring my passport in latter. We also traded what' app info and said if I had a problem just give him a call. Oh I forgot to say we bought some dunk n donuts with us but don't know if that helped lol.
But we live in North sulawesi which is a different world than java.

 

[William King]

I was at the immigration office today to pick up my passport and asked about this. I was told it wasn' a good idea to carry my passport around. Told me my e KITA on my phone would be fine with my indo drivers lincene . If there was a problem I might have to go home and bring my passport in latter. We also traded what' app info and said if I had a problem just give him a call. Oh I forgot to say we bought some dunk n donuts with us but don't know if that helped lol.
But we live in North sulawesi which is a different world than java.

I cannot go into great detail other other than saying I was detained by immigration over doing something that was advised by immigration.

 

[macvert]

I cannot go into great detail other other than saying I was detained by immigration over doing something that was advised by immigration.

why don't I find this hard to believe?

 

[Davita]

According to Jakpost already happened.....
"Several foreign nationals from various countries have been detained in Batam, Riau Islands, for allegedly violating immigration rules.

They were arrested in separate raids jointly conducted by personnel of the Batam Immigration Office and other agencies across Batam.

Batam Immigration Office head Lucky Agung said on Thursday that personnel dispatched for surveillance purposes since Wednesday had arrested a total of 21 foreign nationals in three locations, but some of them were quickly cleared of any wrongdoing."

 

[HeikkiL]

Still waiting for The Big Raid at my office (the only bule / foreigner around - papers all OK, mind you); certainly not gonna carry my passport everywhere with me so laminated copy of info page + eKITAS should do (if something Indos can do properly, it is laminating all docs and important papers!).

Somehow this sounds just like latest news about bars and drugs: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/...-fertile-ground-for-drug-trade-bnn-chief.html

"We have investigated the clubs and there are drug transactions, conducted by a network of distributors, taking place there. We hope that all the distributors are present when we raid these clubs on New Year’s Eve,” Budi said.

 

[Euc-]

I'm more worried about the other article on thejakartapost:

"The Batam Immigration Office has included three Singaporean military personnel on its list of people barred from entering all areas of Indonesia for the next six months.

The entry ban was imposed because the three Singaporean military members could not show their passports during a passport check and instead showed their military ID cards to authorities, an immigration official said."

It is claimed 3 Singaporeans were banned for not having their passports on them but instead left them in their hotel..

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/...personnel-banned-from-entering-indonesia.html