Immigration DG Emphasises Criminal Sanctions for Foreign Nationals Violating the Law

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Directorate General of Immigration has stressed that any foreign national involved in legal violations or criminal acts will face criminal prosecution, not merely administrative sanctions such as deportation and blacklisting.

Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko stated in Jakarta on Tuesday that criminal sanctions are imposed to provide a deterrent effect and prevent the entry of foreign nationals with malicious intent into Indonesia.

“This is our message to foreign nationals with bad intentions who then commit a criminal act. Do not imagine that you will only be deported. We will impose criminal charges, you will go to jail, you will go to prison, that is the point,” Hendarsam said.

On the same day, the Directorate General of Immigration handed over the case files of 10 bogus investor foreign nationals to the Tangerang City District Attorney’s Office. The ten individuals consist of eight Pakistani nationals with the initials ZU, L, SA, QU, FUR, HU, and JK, and two Iraqi nationals with the initials RAM and PAH.

These foreign nationals entered Indonesia using investor visas through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten. Their presence as investors residing in a single, suspicious apartment prompted an investigation by Tangerang Immigration officers.

The investigation revealed that the documents used to process the investor visas, such as notarial deeds and corporate bank statements, were entirely fictitious.

“These are the things that indicate a violation of the law or a criminal act has occurred,” Hendarsam said.

Head of the Banten Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, Barron Ichsan, explained that the motive of the foreign nationals was to obtain a Limited Stay Permit (ITAS) to facilitate entry into the United Kingdom.

“Their motive was that Indonesia was not the destination country. Their destination country was Europe (the UK). So, they deliberately obtained an Indonesian ITAS to make it easier for them to get a European visa,” Barron said.

The ten foreign nationals are charged under Article 123 letter b of Law Number 6 of 2011 on Immigration in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2026 on Criminal Code Adjustments, which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a category IV fine.