City to intensify ID card raids soon

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following Governor Sutiyoso's plan to issue a gubernatorial decree to limit unskilled nonresidents entering Jakarta, the city administration has said that it will intensify ID card raids in its five municipalities.

The administration will start the raids on Dec. 24 to Dec. 27 in 125 subdistricts around the city, the head of the city population agency, Sylviana Murni, said on Wednesday.

Different from previous ID card raids, she said that this year's raids would mainly target slums, including those on the Ciliwung riverbank in Central Jakarta, Kalideres riverbank in West Jakarta and Kaliangke riverbank in North Jakarta.

She said that the administration would intensify the raids to discourage people from coming to the capital city and to arrest the increasing number of unemployed.

"We will focus on slum areas since that's where most newcomers usually stay," Sylviana said, saying that the administration would not check people's IDs in bus terminals, railway stations or on the streets because the administration had learned from past experience that it was ineffective.

The city has launched such raids every year, but usually only at bus terminals, railway stations and on the streets.

"This year we won't do that. It's not effective. We will target slum areas. I think that will be very effective," she said.

Officers from the population agency and the Public Order Office will check newcomers' ID cards, letters of work confirmation and proof of accommodation.

She warned that anyone caught without an ID card and proof of accommodation could be charged with violating the 1996 decree on population and ID cards.

The decree carries a maximum punishment of six months in jail or a fine of Rp 50,000. However, in reality people found without ID cards can get away with paying the officials less than the regulated Rp 50,000.

"People should know the rules because the administration put up banners about it in several bus and railway stations before Idul Fitri," Sylviana said, adding that the administration would send illegal newcomers back to their hometowns.

She said that usually after spending Idul Fitri in their hometowns, Jakartans would bring along with them relatives or friends, who were mostly unskilled, to find jobs in the city.

The agency expected some 225,000 unskilled newcomers to enter the city after Idul Fitri, 10 percent less than last year's figure of 250,000. She attributed the decrease to the fact that Jakarta had become less attractive to job seekers.

Some parties have criticized the administration's policy to limit newcomers from entering the city and have accused the administration of being unable to cope with overcrowding in the city.

Urban Poor Consortium coordinator Wardah Hafidz said that the city administration's attempt to bar migrants from entering the city was a violation of the principles of human rights and would not solve urban-related problems.

As long as employment remains scarce in provinces outside the capital, people will continue migrating to the city in search of a better life, Wardah commented.

"The city administration should cooperate with the provinces to create new jobs in the regions so that fewer people will come to Jakarta," she said.

Wardah added that unskilled workers continued to come to the city as there were demands that needed to be met.

"Jakartans need maids, helpers and others to do menial jobs that don't require certified skills. The villagers respond to this demand because there is no better choice in their hometowns," she remarked.