Corrupt immigration

Corrupt immigration

As foreigners, we are required to drop by to the immigration
office with great frequency. It's nice that all the fees are
displayed openly on the wall, but the nightmare awaits just
around the corner.

We have never once managed to get our papers processed without
some kind of extra charge, and these charges are rising quicker
than the inflation rate. Every extension for a family of four
costs at least Rp 3 million, and applying for an exit permit
costs another Rp 1 million.

Once a year you might renew your visa, for example, in
Singapore, and a few million rupiah will be asked at the embassy
there. Not to mention all the hassles of renewing documents every
year at different offices. Corrupt immigration officers are just
everywhere; it is impossible to avoid them and they cost us a
fortune.

I dream about a one-stop fee, known to everybody, that is paid
once, in one office, to one officer. But surely this could only
happen in paradise.

UWE BURGASTALLER
Denpasar