Jakarta vows no leniency for newcomers

Jakarta vows no leniency for newcomers

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In a bid to stem the influx of migrants into the capital, the
city administration has vowed to screen newcomers at bus
terminals, train stations and seaports to determine whether they
have the necessary documents and skills to stay here.

Governor Sutiyoso said on Tuesday at City Hall that anyone
wishing to migrate to the capital after the post-fasting
festivities had to make sure they had a valid identification
card, a letter from the head of their village and a letter of
good conduct from the police.

Failing to produce such documents, he said, could result in
expulsion.

"We will carry out operations in bus terminals and train
stations to make sure that newcomers fulfill the necessary
requirements," Sutiyoso said.

Head of the Population and Civil Registration Agency Abdul
Kadir said that operations against newcomers in those main entry
points would be held a week after the Idul Fitri celebration,
which falls on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), every year
between 200,000 and 250,000 job seekers from various regions,
mostly East and Central Java, arrive here days after Idul Fitri.

Most of them come with relatives and friends who are already
living in the city.

However, Abdul's office recorded only 190,000 post-Idul Fitri
job seekers last year.

The city administration has in the past few years pledged to
stem the influx of migrants into the capital by raiding
dormitories and rented houses, but the move has largely failed to
prevent people from settling illegally in the capital.

The policy has also been criticized for violating people's
constitutional right to move and reside anywhere in the country.

Abdul said requirements for living in Jakarta included a
letter explaining an individual's move to Jakarta, a letter of
good conduct from the police and guarantees of accommodation and
employment.

Sutiyoso added that the raids would also be conducted in
residential areas, mostly in boarding houses and apartments.

According to Abdul, raids against illegal residents would
begin on Nov. 11 and would be carried out at least four times in
each of the five municipalities. Raid team members will include
judges, prosecutors, police officers, public order officers and
officials from the City Population and Civil Registration Agency.

Under prevailing regulations, violators of the city's
regulation on population could face three months' imprisonment or
a Rp 5 million fine. However, in the previous raids, most
people found to be staying here illegally were fined between Rp
5,000 and Rp 50,000.

Most of those caught during the raids were asked to obtain a
temporary identity card from the relevant subdistrict office.

Abdul, however, stressed this year's raids had been scaled up
due to greater support from the police who had intensified their
antiterrorism operations.

"Those who do not meet the requirements will be sent back to
their hometowns," he added.

Sutiyoso was awarded last year by the central government for
his success in curbing the birth rate in the city, which is less
than 1 percent per year of Jakarta's population of some 8.5
million.

But, the total population growth in the city has reached over
4 percent per year due to the sheer number of people moving to
the capital.