Ajit Karn
Indonesia has reported 47 foreign nationals as Bali clamps down on illegal foreign workers, particularly Russian and Ukrainian nationals.
According to a report, Bali’s central immigration agency has been instructed to revoke the visa-on-arrival programme for Russians and Ukrainians due to an alleged increase in offences involving visitors from these two nations. Since the start of the conflict in 2022, the number of ‘tourists’ from Russia and Ukraine has increased at the beach destination. Infractions of the law included visa overstays and illicit employment as cosmetologists, tour guides, and taxi drivers.
According to official tourism data, the majority of foreign visitors to Indonesia are Russian citizens.
In 2022, after the reopening of the borders, 58,000 Russians and 7,000 Ukrainians arrived in Bali, according to government data reported in the report. In January of this year, approximately 22,500 Russians and 2,500 Ukrainians visited Bali.
The island destination, one of the most prominent tourist destinations, received 6.2 million foreign visitors in 2019.
The previous week, the governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, proclaimed that the ministry of law and human rights had been tasked with enforcing stricter visa regulations by cancelling visa-on-arrival for visitors from Russia and Ukraine only.
According to a report by media, the country has intensified its assault on foreigners who violate Indonesian law by expelling 47 individuals, 13 of whom are Russian. These immigrants were expelled for violating the terms of their stay and residence permit. A Ukrainian national is reportedly facing legal action for possessing a fraudulent Indonesian identification card.
A Russian tourist was arrested by police last month for driving inebriated and injuring an Indonesian citizen. In January, a vehicle accident claimed the lives of a Ukrainian and a Russian tourist.
In response to a spate of road accidents caused by motorists who disobeyed traffic laws, Bali is intending to prohibit tourists from renting motorcycles. The proposed new law would restrict foreigners to vehicles approved by travel agencies. Media reported that during the months of February and March, more than 170 foreign nationals violated traffic regulations, including disorderly conduct on roads and not donning a helmet.
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Ahead of Wednesday’s Balinese day of silence, law enforcement authorities launched a five-day operation over the weekend to monitor criminal activity, particularly among tourists.
