46 foreigners arrested last year for violations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The number of foreigners arrested for abusing
\nimmigration regulations increased to 46 last year from only 23 in
\nthe previous year, an officer said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Capt. IM Pande Cakra of the City Police foreigners supervision
\ndepartment said that many of the arrested foreigners violated
\nregulations by illegally working at local companies.<\/p>\n
\"Many of them did not have licenses to work. Some even made
\nillegal investments in local companies,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
He said 17 of the 46 foreigners violated Article 50 of the
\n1992 Immigration Law No. 9 by illegally working for local
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
The article stipulates a maximum penalty of five years
\nimprisonment or a Rp 25 million (US$3,333) fine.<\/p>\n
The immigration violations were sometimes the fault of the
\nforeigners and in other cases the fault of the companies which
\nhired them, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Either the foreigners did not know about the regulations or
\nthe companies tried to avoid their obligation to pay the taxes
\nfor hiring the foreigners,\" said Pande.<\/p>\n
Only foreigners who held non-tourist visas and had work
\nlicenses issued by the Ministry of Manpower were allowed to work
\nat local companies, he said.<\/p>\n
\"They are allowed to work only as experts in private
\ncompanies, not as directors or managers of human resources. And
\nthe companies must pay taxes for the employment of the expats to
\nthe government,\" said Pande, refusing to disclose the amount of
\nthe taxes.<\/p>\n
Expatriates were allowed to become directors only at joint-
\nventure companies, not at private or government-owned companies,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Expatriates were not allowed to set up a new company as well,
\nbut they could buy stakes at existing private companies here.<\/p>\n
He said every expatriate must have a report certificate issued
\nby the police upon their arrival.<\/p>\n
\"The certificate is required to process their licenses to stay
\nfor a certain period in the local immigration office and their
\nlicenses to work from the Ministry of Manpower,\" said Pande.<\/p>\n
He said foreigners who worked at tourist and travel companies
\nmust obtain their work licenses from the Ministry of Tourism,
\nPost and Telecommunication.<\/p>\n
Working expatriates must also obtain certificates of police
\nregistration which could only be obtained at the foreigners
\nsupervision department of the City Police Headquarters on Jl.
\nSudirman in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Pande said that many foreigners had also been arrested because
\nthey had stayed in the country longer than their permits allowed.<\/p>\n
Twelve of the 46 foreigners arrested last year had permits
\nwhich had expired for less than 30 days and another eight for
\nmore than 60 days, he said.<\/p>\n
Foreigners whose visas had expired for less than three months
\nwere given an alternative to avoid jail by paying a fine, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The fines were set up by and paid to the immigration office.<\/p>\n
\"But foreigners who have overstayed for more than 60 days will
\nbe sentenced to a maximum of five years in jail or receive a Rp
\n25 million fine,\" said Pande.<\/p>\n
Pande said not all of the arrested foreigners were brought to
\ncourt and that only three were tried in court.<\/p>\n
\"The rest were handed over to the immigration office for
\ndeportation from the country,\" he said. (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/46-foreigners-arrested-last-year-for-violations-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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