Foreigners to be targeted in residency raids<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of expatriates were shocked by the recent visit of
\nofficials of the Jakarta administration to their apartments at
\nTaman Rasuna in Kuningan, South Jakarta. The officials carried
\nforms that they were required to be filled out.<\/p>\n
\"We were shocked because they came to our apartments in the
\nevening without prior information. They told us to just fill out
\nthe forms. They said they wanted to reregister all expatriates in
\nthe city,\" James Davis, one of the foreign tenants, said on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
\"I did not know there was a new regulation about expatriates
\nin the city because I have been living in the apartment for two
\nyears without any problems,\" he said, recalling his experience
\ntwo months ago.<\/p>\n
Davis was only one of around 36,000 foreigners in Jakarta, who
\nwere surprised by the administration's new policy on foreigners.
\nOnly recently they found out that it was the policy of the
\nJakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency.<\/p>\n
Agency head Sylviana Murni explained that the registration of
\nexpatriates by the agency was part of the implementation of the
\nnewly enacted Bylaw No. 4\/2004 on Population and Civil
\nRegistration, which stipulates a number of new obligations for
\nforeigners.<\/p>\n
\"Under the new bylaw, all foreigners are required to register
\nthemselves with the agency. The agency will issue a document for
\neach foreigner, depending on his or her status -- temporary
\nvisitor, temporary resident or permanent resident,\" she told the
\npress after the dissemination of the bylaw on Monday.<\/p>\n
She said a foreigner with a visitors permit or visa would
\nreceive a letter explaining that he or she had reported his or
\nher presence in Jakarta. A foreigner with an temporary stay
\npermit would get a foreigner or visitors identity card (KIP) and
\na certificate listing family members (SKSKP). And a foreigner
\nwith a permanent stay permit will receive an identity card for
\nforeigners (KTP WNA) and card listing family members (KK).<\/p>\n
Sylviana said her office would issue a guideline for the
\nimplementation of the bylaw next week. The guideline would be
\nused by relevant officials to carry out their tasks, including
\nconducting raids against those who violated the bylaw.<\/p>\n
With the implementation of the bylaw, she said, foreigners
\nwould be the targets of operasi yustisi (raids against those who
\nlive in the capital without ID cards).<\/p>\n
In the past, such a raid was only held for local migrant
\nworkers, who usually move to the city after the Idul Fitri
\nholidays to work as laborers or in the informal sector. The raids
\nare usually conducted at companies and boarding houses where
\nmigrant workers live.<\/p>\n
\"We will also conduct operasi yustisi at hotels, apartments,
\nas well as boarding and rented houses,\" she said, adding that
\nthose who violated the bylaw could be sentenced to a maximum of
\nthree months in prison or pay a Rp 5 million (US$ 549.45) fine.<\/p>\n
Sylviana did not clearly say when the raid would take place
\nbut stressed that it would be after her office finished drafting
\nthe guideline.<\/p>\n
Jufri, a staff member at the agency, said there were thousands
\nof foreigners in the city, who had violated their stay permits.
\nHe added that many foreigners used tourist visas to work in
\nvarious sectors.<\/p>\n
\"Many of them are working at karaoke clubs, discotheques or
\neven as prostitutes,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/foreigners-to-be-targeted-in-residency-raids-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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