City bylaw prepared to curb migrants

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city is now drafting a bylaw aimed at curbing the rapid rate of urbanization that has been blamed for various social problems like poverty, and the rapid increase in the number of street vendors and slum areas in the city.

City Governor Sutiyoso said on Tuesday that controlling the flow of migrants into the city should be a priority as it contributed significantly to the population explosion in the capital.

"Whoever the governor is, the flow of migrants must be controlled," Sutiyoso said after receiving a family planning program award from the President at, presented to him by the head of the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN), Yaumil Agoes Akhir, in the City Hall.

This was the second time that Sutiyoso had mentioned his desire to curb the city's growth through migration controls. He first announced the plan earlier this year.

A number of urban analysts and activists have expressed their opposition to the plan, saying that the policy was not in line with human rights' principles.

Chairman of the Jakarta Residents' Forum (Fakta) Asas Tigor Nainggolan said that as the capital, Jakarta should remain an open city that all people could enter freely.

Data from the city administration shows that some 250,000 migrants come to Jakarta each year, with most of them arriving after Idul Fitri, the annual Muslim holiday. Jakarta's population stands at 8.5 million by night and over 10 million during the day.

Sutiyoso said that the move to control the city's growth was still at the conceptual and discussion stage, but City Demographic Agency director Sylviana Murni said that the draft of the bylaw had been introduced to the City Council.

Sylviana told The Jakarta Post that the discussions on the draft bylaw on population registration were expected to be completed by the end of this year.

According to Sylviana, based on the draft bylaw there would be three categories of people entitled to be present in Jakarta: guests, seasonal residents and permanent residents.

People with guest status could stay up to 14 days in the city but would have to hold travelers' identity cards issued by a subdistrict head in their respective hometowns.

People who wanted to become seasonal residents of Jakarta would be required to submit an explanatory letter signed by the heads of their neighborhood and community units, as well as a travelers' identity card. A seasonal identity card then issued by the subdistrict head would be valid for up to six months.

Those who wished to become permanent residents of Jakarta would be required to have a change of residence declaration issued by the district head, a certificate of good conduct issued by the police, an accommodation guarantee and a job offer.