Hundreds move weekly to Batam

Hundreds move weekly to Batam

BATAM, Riau: Despite the anti-migration ruling in Batam,
hundreds of jobseekers from Sumatra and Java have been migrating
illegally to the resort island.

The migrants generally enter secretly by boat to the three
main harbor areas on the island, which is known as playground for
middle-class Singaporeans, with its golf courses and upmarket
resorts.

In an effort to halt the influx of illegal, local authorities
have deployed more than 200 officers in the three main seaports
to monitor the inflow of people from different provinces and
dozens have been sent back to their home towns in Sumatra and
Java after officials were not satisfied with their documentation.

The Batam authorities have enacted into law article No. 2/2001
which went into effect on Oct. 1 in a move to control the
population on the already crowded island. The ruling prohibits
people from entering at any official entry points without
necessary documentation.

"People who come in from other provinces will be put into a
quarantine center for two weeks before being sent back to their
home village. The island is at its capacity and cannot
accommodate migrant people," Mustofa Wijaya, a spokesman for the
local administration, said.

The ruling also threatens a five-year jail sentence against
anyone attempting to migrate to the island without permission or
a clear destination on the island. -- Antara