RI home to 1,558 illegal migrants<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A total of 1,558 foreigners illegally have
\nentered Indonesia since early last year in hopes of reaching a
\nthird country, an official said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Director of Immigration M. Mudakir said the illegal immigrants
\nwere from Iraq, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Somalia and
\nBahrain.<\/p>\n
According to Mudakir, the foreigners landed illegally here to
\nseek entry into another country, while claiming refugee status
\nfrom the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and
\nasking the commission to relocate them to a third country.<\/p>\n
The last case involved 92 Iraqis who were found stranded on
\nthe North Sumatra sea. In Makassar, South Sulawesi, 135
\nPakistani, Iraqi and Afghans were arrested when they were about
\nto leave for Australia under the arrangement of an international
\nsyndicate, he said.<\/p>\n
The others were held by immigration authorities in Sibolga,
\nTanjung Balai Karimun and Medan in North Sumatra and Malang in
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
In Bogor, 193 Iranians were arrested in Garut, West Java, in
\nSeptember last year, he said, adding that those migrants had been
\nunder the commission's responsibility.<\/p>\n
Mudakir said the UNHCR had granted refugee status to 420
\nillegal migrants in Indonesia, but only one had been sent on to a
\nthird country.<\/p>\n
He added that on Tuesday two Pakistanis, one Sri Lankan and
\none Chinese national were arrested for immigration violations
\nduring a raid in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-home-to-1558-illegal-migrants-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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