Balikpapan expels 878 migrants

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Balikpapan municipal administration in East Kalimantan sent home at least 878 migrants for allegedly failing to comply with the city's bylaw on population, a local official said on Wednesday.

Sudirman, a senior official at the Balikpapan population office, said the repatriated migrants were mostly from Java and Sulawesi islands.

They were sent home in connection with Bylaw No. 22/2002 on population administration that came into effect late last year, he was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said the 878 migrants had violated the bylaw as they did not get jobs within six months of their arrival in Balikpapan, due to a lack of work skills.

"Though Balikpapan is an open city and any Indonesian citizen has the right to stay here, they must comply with our population regulations," Sudirman added.

As the gateway to East Kalimantan, he said, Balikpapan had to apply strict regulations on outsiders wanting to live and find jobs here.

Under the bylaw, each newcomer receives a temporary identity card but must deposit money with the local administration as a guarantee for their stay in Balikpapan.

"The amount of the money is equivalent to the fare to their respective hometowns from the city," Sudirman said.

He said the deposited money would be given back if they failed to get work and had to leave Balikpapan as soon as possible.

"We have disbursed Rp 264 million for transportation costs for the 878 migrants to go home. The fund was the money they entrusted to us as their guarantee to stay in the city," Sudirman said.

He said that if they managed to find work, the municipal administration would issue identity cards for them.