Foreigners in Aceh face questions about visas

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Just days after the government extended the deadline for all foreigners to leave Aceh by March 26, an immigration official said on Tuesday some 1,175 foreigners have to leave the province to get their visas-on-arrival renewed.

Head of Banda Aceh Immigration Office Amirullah said the foreigners have to leave Aceh before March 26 since their visas- on-arrival could no longer be renewed within the province.

"Those foreigners have extended their visas-on-arrival twice, so we can't do it anymore," Amirullah said.

He said there are currently 1,338 foreigners in Aceh, but only 163 of them entered using social/cultural visas, while the remainder, or 1,175, used visas-on-arrival.

"Those using visas-on-arrival have to get out of Aceh to apply for a visa at the Indonesian Embassy in their respective countries. Those who came using social/cultural visas can extend their visas here in Indonesia," Amirullah said.

Of the foreigners, many are humanitarian workers and UN workers, who were granted visas following the emergency situation after the tsunami hit the province on Dec. 26.

On Tuesday, the government also announced in a statement that foreign aid workers working for humanitarian organizations and agencies in Aceh would be able to renew their visas for a further month after March 26 in Banda Aceh upon their visa's expiry.

However, Amirullah said his office had not been made aware of a new policy on visas-on-arrival from the central immigration office in Jakarta.

"Up until now, there's been no change of policy," he said, adding that if the foreigners were still staying, they would be considered illegal visitors and deported.

However, he was confident that foreigners in Aceh already knew about the policy, considering that many of them had sought information from Banda Aceh Immigration Office over the last few days.

The government also announced that it would gather information on the future plans and activities of organizations operating in Aceh to determine how they can best meet reconstruction needs, setting the deadline for between March 27 and April 27.

"The Indonesian government would like to confirm that it continues to hold open the door for foreign humanitarian organizations and agencies to participate in the reconstruction and rehabilitation process in Aceh," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab, who is in charge of reconstruction, said in a statement.

Organizations that wish to continue operating in Aceh are requested to fill out a form on their planned activities and funding sources by April 27. The government will then determine which humanitarian organizations are essential in the rebuilding process.

After April 27, a mechanism to allow those organizations that are qualified for long-term reconstruction efforts to remain in Aceh will be established.

"The government does not intend to stop or limit the activities of legitimate humanitarian organizations, particularly those associated with the United Nations or accredited by donor countries, but asks that all organizations be transparent about their qualifications, their activities in the reconstruction phase and their financial sources," Alwi said.