Aceh Immigration Monitors 13 Foreign Nationals Stranded on Simeulue Island

Aceh Immigration, through the Meulaboh Immigration Office, is monitoring 13 foreign nationals who are crew members stranded in the waters of Simeulue Cut, Simeulue Regency, Aceh Province.

The Head of the Aceh Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, Tato Juliadin Hidayawan, stated in Banda Aceh on Friday that the dozen or so foreign nationals are from Thailand. They are crew members of the MV Marunda Utama, a vessel flying the Thai flag.

“The immigration team is monitoring the presence of these Thai nationals after they were stranded in the waters of Simeulue Cut, Simeulue Regency, because the ship they were manning experienced engine failure,” he said.

According to Tato Juliadin Hidayawan, the individuals entered the country legally. Their entry into Indonesian territory occurred under emergency conditions as stipulated in Article 89 of the Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation Number 9 of 2024 regarding the procedures for immigration inspections of persons entering or leaving Indonesian territory.

“Based on those provisions, immigration inspections can be carried out on these 13 foreign crew members as foreigners entering Indonesian territory in an emergency situation,” he added.

He noted that the immigration team has also secured the crew members’ passports. The passports will be returned to them once the ship repairs are completed and the 13 Thai nationals are able to continue their journey.

Tato Juliadin H्यायawan stated that all foreign nationals remain on the vessel they are manning. Immigration surveillance is being conducted to ensure that all crew members remain on the ship until the repair process is finished and they depart from Indonesian waters.

“The immigration team is also coordinating with relevant agencies to ensure that the handling of the foreign vessel complies with applicable regulations, and to ensure that their presence in Indonesia remains safe and controlled,” said Tato Juliadin Hidayawan.

Previously, the MV Marunda Utama, a Thai-flagged vessel manned by 13 Thai crew members, was found anchored in the waters of Simeulue Cut, Simeulue Regency, Aceh Province, on 24 July 2026 at 19:42 WIB, due to engine failure.