Immigration deports three Chinese nationals for visa data manipulation

The Directorate General of Immigration, through the Surabaya Class I Special Immigration Office, has deported three Chinese nationals found to have manipulated data and provided false guarantor statements to obtain visas. The three foreign nationals, identified by the initials YJ, CN, and LJ, entered Indonesia using Pre-Investment Visit Visas (index C12) and Business Visas (index C1 & C2) acquired through data manipulation and false statements. They were officially repatriated via Juanda International Airport on a China Southern Airlines flight CZ8138, route Surabaya (SUB) – Guangzhou (CAN), departing at 08.00 WIB and arriving in Guangzhou at 14.05 local time, according to Agus Winarto, Head of the Surabaya Class I Special Immigration Office, in a statement released in Jakarta on Friday. In addition to deportation, the three have been sanctioned with a five-year entry ban (blacklist) from Indonesia. Agus explained that the manipulation was uncovered when officers became suspicious of their immigration documents. The three entered Indonesia using single-entry visit visas intended for foreign nationals wishing to prepare for business in Indonesia, namely the Pre-Investment Visit Visa (index C12) and Business Visas (index C1 & C2). However, immigration officers found that the visas were obtained by submitting letters, data, and guarantor information that were false or manipulated. “The document irregularities were initially detected through the immigration system, which showed discrepancies between the guarantor registered in the system and the documents used for their visa applications,” he revealed. Furthermore, officers discovered that the application files belonging to YJ and CN contained identical revenue stamp serial numbers (duplicate stamps), indicating systematic document fabrication. “The three of them never actually planned to invest or conduct business activities in Indonesia,” Agus stated. Immigration officers took firm action after the three met the elements of violating immigration regulations by deporting and blacklisting them. Agus said the entire escort, immigration inspection, and departure process was safe, orderly, and smooth under the supervision of Surabaya Class I Special Immigration Office officers. He stressed that this firm measure demonstrates the commitment of the Surabaya Immigration Office in strictly enforcing immigration law within its jurisdiction, in line with the directive of Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko that immigration exists to safeguard state sovereignty, because immigration is for the people. “We will never tolerate foreign nationals who attempt to violate the law in Indonesia,” Agus said.