Immigration Chief: Selective Policy Not a Barrier to Foreign Arrivals
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Director-General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko has said the implementation of a selective immigration policy is not an obstacle for foreign nationals or foreign tourists coming to Indonesia.
He explained that the selective policy is a strategic instrument to ensure that only foreign nationals who provide benefits to Indonesia can enter and carry out activities in the country.
“We are not against foreign tourists. On the contrary, we want to bring in quality tourists who contribute to the economy and respect the nation’s values,” Hendarsam said at a public discussion titled “Testing the Discourse of Visa-Free Expansion: Opportunity or Threat”, held at the Nusantara Hall of Pancasila University on Wednesday.
He stressed that the policy is not intended to restrict but rather to improve the quality of tourists and safeguard national stability.
During the discussion, he outlined the direction of immigration policy that balances security, sovereignty and economic growth.
According to him, the Directorate-General of Immigration has two faces: as guardian of the nation’s gate, carrying out service functions, security supervision and law enforcement, and as a facilitator of development in the tourism and investment sectors.
“We have two faces - firm in safeguarding sovereignty and friendly in supporting investment and tourism. This is the balance we continue to maintain,” he said.
He said the tightening of visa-free entry (BVK) provisions was carried out by considering the principle of reciprocity, diplomatic aspects, and the level of risk to security and public order.
Although the number of countries granted visa-free entry has been reduced, data shows the policy has not hindered foreign tourist visits to Indonesia.
“In the period 2019 to 2024, the number of foreign arrivals actually increased by around 14 per cent. This shows that visa policy is not the main inhibiting factor,” he said.
Moreover, according to him, the relatively affordable cost of Visa on Arrival (VoA) is also not seen as an obstacle for tourists.
He added that the Directorate-General of Immigration has also issued policies to support economic development, such as the golden visa, which has succeeded in attracting hundreds of quality foreign nationals with foreign exchange contributions reaching Rp52.1 trillion.
According to him, this achievement shows that a selective immigration policy can go hand in hand with increased investment and Indonesia’s attractiveness in the eyes of the world.
Hendarsam also affirmed that all immigration policies are grounded in the national interest.
“The sovereignty of the state cannot be bargained. But at the same time, we ensure Indonesia remains open to the world, especially for tourists and investors who provide real benefits to the nation,” he asserted.
The discussion was also attended by several other speakers: Professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia Hikmahanto Juwana, Rector of Pancasila University Adnan Hamid, and Deputy Chair of Commission XIII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) Sugiat Santoso, who emphasised the importance of balancing economic interests and state sovereignty.
According to Hikmahanto, the visa-free entry policy must not be oriented solely towards increasing foreign exchange, but must continue to consider the quality and social impact of the presence of foreign nationals, including the importance of the reciprocity principle and economic indicators in determining recipient countries.
Meanwhile, Adnan Hamid highlighted the potential for abuse of visa-free entry as a modus operandi for illegal work by foreign nationals, which has implications for the protection of the domestic workforce, and urged stronger law enforcement against such violations.
On the legislative side, Deputy Chair of Commission XIII of the DPR RI, Sugiat Santoso, underlined the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the visa-free policy, including assessing its effectiveness in contributing to foreign exchange and considering other factors such as the tourism ecosystem, culture and destination attractiveness as the main determinants of foreign tourist visits.