100 netted in illegal migrant raids
100 netted in illegal migrant raids
JAKARTA (JP): City officials arrested 100 illegal migrants who
failed to display ID Cards as the 'door-to-door' raid began on
Thursday, an official said.
The raid, which commenced at 6 a.m., was held in four
subdistricts in Central Jakarta, head of the Central Jakarta
Population Agency F.X. Wuryanto said.
"The operation was held as shock therapy for migrants who have
just arrived in the capital following the Christmas, Idul Fitri
and New Year holidays," he said.
He said the capital belonged to everyone, but added that
people who want to live here must follow city regulations on
population.
The raid was held in the Kebon Sirih subdistrict of Menteng
district, Pasar Baru subdistrict of Sawah Besar district, Kebon
Kelapa subdistrict of Gambir district, and Utan Panjang
subdistrict of Kemayoran district, he said.
He said the officials arrested 35 migrants in Menteng
district, 18 in Sawah Besar district, 26 in Gambir district, and
21 in Kemayoran district.
"Most of the arrested migrants are employees at city
entertainment centers, shopkeepers, waitresses, vendors,
residents of rented houses, and domestic helpers," he said.
The city population agency previously recorded that up to 80
percent of some 176,000 migrants who recently arrived in the
capital to seek jobs did not report their presence to the local
authorities, which is a violation of City Bylaw No. 1/1996 on
resident registration.
The 1996 regulation stipulates that residents must possess
valid identity (ID) cards once they turn 17. Those caught without
ID cards could face a maximum penalty of three-months
imprisonment or a Rp 50,000 (US$5.2) fine.
Wuryanto said the illegal immigrants were sent to a
provisional court at around 11 a.m., which was established in the
National Monument (Monas) park, and presided over by judge
Saparudin from the Central Jakarta District Court.
Head of the legal division of the Central Jakarta mayoralty
office H.R.D. Sukandar said that each operation costs around Rp 4
million, which is being allocated from the mayoralty's routine
expenditure.
Sukandar said the money was used to pay for the honorarium of
the judge, the prosecutors, the police, and other officials who
were involved in the operation.
One of the arrested migrants was identified as Jumadi, 23, a
resident of Menteng district who hails from Pontianak in West
Kalimantan.
"I have no ID because I lost all the supporting documents to
apply for the Jakarta ID," Jumadi, who has been in the capital
for two years now, told the judge.
The court asked him to pay some Rp 10,000 for the fine.
Another migrant, Rukini, 52, a vagrant who lives under the
statue in the Monas area, was taken to the social care center
because she had no money to pay her fine. (04)