Arrivals of Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans limited
Arrivals of Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans limited
JAKARTA (JP): The government has decided to limit the number
of arrivals of foreigners from Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan in a
bid to stem the problem of illegal immigrants, which has been a
burden to the country, an official said on Friday.
Director general for Immigration Supervision and Control of
the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Muhammad Indra said
Iranians, Iraqis and Afghans could no longer enter Indonesia
without being tightly screened.
"We'll be more selective. No visitors from any of the three
countries will be allowed to enter Indonesia from Malaysia, which
has become their main port of embarkation, unless they had
already become residents there," he told journalists, after a
meeting between visiting Australian Minister of Immigration and
Multiculture Phillip Ruddock and Minister of Justice and Human
Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra.
Indra added that people in the above-mentioned categories
could no longer easily get a visa to enter Indonesia, even from
their own countries, as approval from Jakarta would now be
required.
"There should be a clear objective to their visit and
sponsorship of their visit here, including companies that invite
them for business reasons, or their relatives. They must be
prepared to take responsibility should the applicants violate the
visa conditions," he explained.
He said earlier that four Iranians, who had illegally entered
Indonesia from Malaysia using fake visas last Thursday, would be
deported, even though a staff member of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had sought permission to allow
them to stay here longer for an interview to decide whether or
not they were genuine refugees.
"We cannot receive them here. If the Iranians are declared
refugees and are seeking asylum, they can seek it at the UNHCR
representative office in Malaysia," Indra contended.
The number of illegal immigrants currently living in Indonesia
is estimated at over 1,660.
Yusril believed that they were not victims of their countries'
political or economic situation since they were wealthy enough to
finance the long trip.
"We will do something about it, but the Australian government
should also take legal action against those of its citizens who
accommodate the illegal immigrants," he said.
Friday's meeting discussed the possibility of holding further
talks on multilateral cooperation to help curb the influx of
illegal immigrants, following the drama over 438 stranded, mostly
Afghan asylum seekers, who were not allowed to enter Australia.
(bby)