Number of people going abroad 'normal'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Immigration M. Mudakir said
\non Thursday the rate of Indonesians traveling abroad through
\nSoekarno-Hatta International Airport remained normal despite
\nmounting speculation of unrest ahead of the June 7 general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Mudakir told reporters there was no major surge in travelers
\nleaving through the airport and the nation's four other major air
\ngateways -- Polonia in Medan, North Sumatra; Batam; Juanda in
\nSurabaya, East Java, and Ngurah Rai in Denpasar, Bali.<\/p>\n
\"As of Thursday the number of travelers, especially
\nIndonesians of Chinese descent, is still normal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Many Chinese-Indonesians fled the country during the
\ndevastating riots last May.<\/p>\n
Mudakir explained that the number of Indonesians traveling
\nabroad through Soekarno-Hatta airport was 86,406 in March, up
\nfrom 66,992 in February but lower than the 103,914 in January.<\/p>\n
At each of the 14 immigration counters, only about 10 to 20
\npeople queued in the morning and between 10 to 30 in the
\nafternoon, he said.<\/p>\n
Last May, there were lines of up to 100 departing passengers,
\nhe said, at the height of the unrest a week before Soeharto
\nresigned from the presidency.<\/p>\n
He explained that the number of Indonesians traveling on 50
\noverseas flights from Soekarno-Hatta airport reached an average
\nof 2,000 per day.<\/p>\n
About half were Indonesian workers headed to the Middle East,
\nMalaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and
\nSouth Korea, he said.<\/p>\n
Mudakir added the number of Indonesians traveling abroad
\nthrough Juanda Airport reached 13,347 in March, 12,819 in
\nFebruary and 13,374 in January.<\/p>\n
The number through Ngurah Rai airport reached 4,568 in March,
\n4,611 in February and 4,392 in January. For Batam, figures were
\n40,563 in March, 39,327 in February and 39,549 in January.<\/p>\n
Polonia's departures were 6,483 in March, 9,357 in February
\nand 12,587 in January, he said.<\/p>\n
Concerning passport issuance, Mudakir said about 100 to 200
\npassports were issued at the immigration office in Jakarta per
\nday. In comparison, 350 to 600 were issued per day last May, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He added the figures showed people were applying for passports
\nto work overseas, and it was not part of the rumored exodus from
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
\"Many people, dismissed by their companies due to the
\nprolonged economic crisis, are eying the many job opportunities
\noverseas,\" he said. (hhr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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