Mayors asked to stop jobless newcomers from settling here

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Idroes asked all mayors to look out for newcomers in their areas and enforce the provincial decree on population.

He said yesterday monitoring was necessary, before newcomers became settled in the city.

"It is estimated that around eight to 10 percent of the number of people who went to their hometowns for Idul Fitri will come to the city seeking jobs," Idroes said.

He admitted the city found it difficult to curb the mushrooming number of post-Idul Fitri newcomers. "Jakarta is the country's capital, which is always attractive to country people," Idroes said.

The decree on population stipulates newcomers must possess documents such as letters guaranteeing employment and accommodation in Jakarta. Without such documents newcomers are prohibited from living in Jakarta, which now has a population of more than nine million.

People who meet the requirements get temporary citizenship cards which are valid for six months, before they get permanent Jakarta IDs.

Every year, the city administration faces the problem of curbing the influx of newcomers.

The city administration has been cooperating with West, Central and East Java administrations as well as South Sumatra administration to prevent the influx.

The fact that most newcomers are unskilled people who will find it hard to survive in the city, adds to the problem for the administration.

Those who cannot find jobs usually become criminals or beggars, and only very few are willing to leave.

The City Population Office, in cooperation with the City Public Order Office, rounds up beggars and sends them back to their hometowns.

The population office estimates that the 3.5 million people, who returned to their hometowns for Idul Fitri, will bring 300,000 newcomers back with them this year.

The office reported that 3,059,576 Jakartans left the city for their hometowns between Feb. 2 and Feb. 8.

Yesterday, the flow of people returning to the city increased and bus terminals were crowded.

From Thursday until 8 a.m. yesterday, 161,539 people returned via the main and temporary bus terminals. On Wednesday, 141,059 people arrived.

At the city's railway stations, the number of returnees was down from 31,931 Wednesday to 28,012 Thursday. (ste)