Batam Immigration Intensifies Foreign Vessel Inspections to Secure Borders
The Class I Special Immigration Office at Batam’s TPI is intensifying supervision of foreign vessels crossing Batam’s waters as an effort to safeguard border security and prevent various forms of cross-border crime along the strategic shipping lanes of the Malacca and Singapore Straits.
The step was realised through joint operations in the form of surprise inspections (board and search) of foreign-flagged vessels anchored in Batam waters. The operation involved a number of agencies, including the Sea Police (Satpolair), Customs, the Port Health Office, and the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN).
During the operation, officers inspected two foreign vessels: MV Forte in the Sekupang waters and Vasco da Gama in the Batu Ampar waters. Inspections were carried out thoroughly, covering the crew’s immigration documents, crew lists, last port clearance, cargo manifests and health certificates.
The Head of the Class I Special Immigration Office at Batam’s TPI, Wahyu Eka Putra, said routine supervision of the waters was part of a strategy to strengthen security in a border area with exceptionally high international mobility.
“As a border region with high international mobility, Batam requires adaptive and continuous supervision,” he said on Thursday (23/7).
According to him, the joint operation aims not only to ensure compliance with immigration rules but also to strengthen inter-agency coordination in monitoring the movement of foreign nationals entering via sea routes.
“Through this joint operation, we ensure that every activity by foreign nationals in our waters complies with the regulations, whilst strengthening synergy in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty,” he said.
From the inspection of the two vessels, officers found no immigration violations or illegal activity. All crew documents were declared complete and in accordance with prevailing regulations.
Nevertheless, Batam Immigration emphasised that supervision will continue to be stepped up, given Batam’s position on the world’s busiest international trade route. The Malacca and Singapore Straits are traversed by more than 90,000 commercial vessels each year, making them vulnerable to various forms of cross-border violations.
Integrated supervision is considered essential to anticipate transnational crimes such as people smuggling, illegal crew changes, misuse of immigration permits, and maritime transit activities without valid documents.
The commitment to immigration law enforcement in Batam is also reflected in the rising number of administrative actions taken against foreign nationals. Throughout 2025, the Batam Immigration Office deported 539 foreign nationals, an increase from 394 cases in 2024. The violations found were dominated by misuse of residence permits, overstaying, and labour violations in the construction sector.
Meanwhile, between January and June 2026, more than 240 foreign nationals have been deported. That figure includes the forced repatriation of 210 perpetrators of online scams from Vietnam, China and Myanmar who were previously detained by law enforcement officials.
Batam Immigration assured that supervision at the nation’s entry points, particularly via sea routes, will continue to be carried out regularly together with relevant agencies in order to safeguard border security, support the smooth flow of international trade, and ensure that every foreign national complies with the laws applicable in Indonesia. (H-3)