Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) – The Bali provincial authority has set up a special task force to crackdown on foreign tourists working in the province illegally without working visa, Bali Tourism Office Head Tjok Bagus Pemayun stated.Despite no reports received from relevant tourism actors or public members on illegal foreign workers, he noted that the task force, which includes local officials and the immigration office, will continue monitoring the foreigners’ activities.
“We have the municipal police (Satpol PP), the Manpower and Energy and Mineral Resources Office, the Industry and Trade Office for the permit aspect, and complete police apparatus (in the task force),” Pemayun stated here, Monday.
The local authority recorded a surge in the number of Russian nationals to Bali after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the arrival of Russians in Bali was the second-highest after Australia in January 2023.
He affirmed that the government would monitor foreigners to ensure that they conduct their activities in Indonesia in accordance with their visa and take action against foreigners found violating the visa regulation.
“Everything must follow the regulation, and a holder of tourist visa cannot work. The task force will monitor the activities if they are working here,” the office head emphasized.
Indonesia has a strict working visa policy that must be followed by foreign nationals, as any violations of the working regulation will harm locals in Bali, he stated.
Pemayun said the task force would work according to its assignments, including actions against minor, medium, or major violations.
“I cannot determine (the sanction), but we will follow all regulations. Any deportations will be done if necessary. We have no target, as our focus is to follow all regulations,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Manpower and Energy and Mineral Resources Office Head IB Setiawan stated that the task force would screen the foreign nationals’ data, as one challenge in the monitoring works is to assess the incoming and outcoming data.
“This needs more than just (works) in the provincial authority and district and city authorities but also the central (government), as the system is centered there. The Immigration (Office) also played its role in the entry of foreign nationals to Bali or through Jakarta,” Setiawan stated.
He affirmed that strategies will be devised to anticipate cases of foreign nationals working illegally by recording the individuals and cooperating with the local Tourism Office.
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Source: Antara News Agency