Mayors asked to stop jobless newcomers from settling here

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)