DPR Backs Minister Agus, Calls for Total Immigration Digitalisation
Yanuar Arif Wibowo, a member of Commission XIII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), has called for the digital transformation at the Directorate General of Immigration to be applied thoroughly in order to close off opportunities for illicit payment practices while simultaneously strengthening oversight of people movement.
According to him, this step is in line with the 15 Action Programmes of the Minister of Immigration and Corrections, Agus Andrianto, particularly the strengthening of digitally based immigration services and the monitoring of foreigners.
In Yanuar’s view, digitalisation must no longer leave manual stages that could open room for the abuse of authority.
“The idea of digitalisation is good. But there must not remain any approval processes carried out manually. All documentation should be able to make use of technology, including AI for validation and confirmation, so that illicit payment practices are eliminated,” Yanuar said when contacted.
He reminded that immigration is the face of Indonesia in the eyes of the world as well as the foremost line of defence in safeguarding national sovereignty. Every year, around 25 million people enter and leave Indonesian territory, so the monitoring system must become increasingly modern and accountable.
Beyond digitalisation, Yanuar supports the simplification of visa services, Golden Visas, and residence permits, while continuing to prioritise the principle of selectivity.
According to him, Indonesia needs to attract investors and tourists who deliver a real impact on national economic growth, rather than opening opportunities for the abuse of residence permits.
“We want to ensure that people entering Indonesia have a positive impact on economic growth. Screening must be strengthened so that problems such as overstays or the misuse of visas to work illegally do not arise,” he said.
Yanuar also stressed the importance of a monitoring system for the length of stay of foreign nationals so that overstays can be prevented at an early stage.
At the same time, he commended the steps taken by the Directorate General of Immigration to tighten the examination of passport applications in order to prevent human trafficking offences. In his view, examining travel purposes, interviewing applicants, and delaying passport issuance where suspicious indicators are found are important measures in protecting Indonesian citizens.
“Immigration is not merely about chasing non-tax state revenue from visas, but also about safeguarding national sovereignty. Screening of every person entering Indonesia must be carried out properly, accompanied by strong integrity among officers,” Yanuar said.
In line with this, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections continues to promote digital transformation as one of the priorities in Minister Agus Andrianto’s 15 Action Programmes. Digitalisation is directed at creating immigration services that are faster, easier, transparent, and accountable, while strengthening oversight of people movement at entry points as well as within Indonesian territory.
The Ministry also continues to strengthen electronically based immigration service systems, ranging from passport and visa services to residence permits. At the same time, monitoring of foreigners is being tightened through the use of information technology and enhanced inter-agency coordination to support a healthy investment climate as well as national security and sovereignty.
Through this transformation, the Ministry aims for public services that are increasingly professional, free from illicit payment practices, and able to provide legal certainty for the public, business actors, and investors operating in Indonesia.