Dealing with immigration

Dealing with immigration

From Kompas

After visiting Singapore, a friend of mine from Europe came
to Indonesia in one day in June 2002 at 9.15 p.m. by Cathay
Pacific (flight number 711). Upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta
airport, like other tourists, he had to first go through
immigration control to enter Indonesia. To his surprise, before
entering the control gate, an immigration officer asked him for
Rp 500,000.

At first, my friend refused to give him the money because the
officer failed to show him any regulation requiring a tourist to
pay such a fee. It was not his first visit to this country and he
had no problem with his papers, but the officer adamantly refused
to let him enter without the money.

When my foreign friend met me, he expressed his disappointment
to me about the officer. He could not understand why the officer
did not clarify the issue or issue a receipt for the money that
was paid.

I wonder if the Directorate General of Immigration or
Department of Health has issued a new regulation obliging a
tourist to pay a certain amount before entering Indonesia. But
why did the officer not give any explanation?

My friend went home with a feeling of deep resentment. And he
deserves an explanation.

FINDA MARLINA

Depok, West Java