Maluku Immigration Deports 11 Illegal Chinese Miners

Ambon (ANTARA) - The Directorate General of Immigration, together with the Maluku Regional Immigration Office and the Ambon Class I Immigration Office, has deported 11 Chinese nationals who were proven to have abused their residence permits while operating in the Gunung Botak mining area in Buru Regency.

“We have conducted an examination of 24 foreign nationals in the Gunung Botak area. As a result, 11 individuals were found to violate immigration regulations by engaging in activities not aligned with their residence permits,” said the Head of the Ambon Class I Immigration Office, Eben Rifqi Taufan, during a press conference in Ambon on Wednesday.

He explained that the other 13 Chinese nationals were confirmed to possess documents and residence permits that matched their activities at the mining site.

According to him, some of the foreign nationals who complied with the regulations were involved in educational activities and technical assistance to the local community, particularly regarding the operation of heavy equipment such as excavators and mining methods.

“For the 11 individuals who violated immigration rules, the deportation process is scheduled to take place within the next one to two days,” he stated.

He mentioned that the presence of these Chinese nationals had been under the immigration surveillance system since their initial arrival in Indonesia.

“In addition to independent monitoring, joint operations were also conducted based on accurate information and data, ensuring that every law enforcement action is carried out in accordance with procedures and field surveillance results,” he said.

Eben also reminded the public and community leaders to be cautious in disseminating information about the presence of foreigners to avoid misunderstandings within society.

“If you wish to know about immigration status, visas, residence permits, or the presence of illegal foreigners, please come directly to the immigration office to obtain accurate information,” he said.

He added that the Ambon Immigration Office continues to provide access to information for the public regarding the monitoring and presence of foreigners in the Maluku region, particularly in mining areas that have drawn public attention.