RI immigration alert ahead of HK handover
RI immigration alert ahead of HK handover
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Immigration Office will increase
its alertness against possible attempts by Hong Kong nationals to
immigrate into Indonesia ahead of the British island colony's
handover to China next week, Immigration Director General Pranowo
said here yesterday.
"We will tighten checks against visa applications in
coordination with other offices concerned," Antara quoted him as
saying.
He said it was not impossible that those who held Documents of
Identity, Certificates of Identity and British National Overseas
would seek entry into Indonesia for a reunion with family
members, business or serving as experts at companies as reasons
for their cover-up.
In anticipation of possible attempts against the national
interests, Pranowo said the immigration office would conduct a
careful check against the documents of visa applications with
regard to the truth of the documents.
He said Chinese nationals could only enter the country through
Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport, Medan's Polonia airport,
Surabaya's Juanda airport and Bali's Ngurah Rai airport.
Meanwhile Mursanuddin A Ghani, spokesman for the immigration
directorate general, said that a total of 2,456 foreigners were
denied entry into Indonesia last month because their names were
on an immigration "black list."
He said the foreigners were barred in compliance with
requests from the Immigration Office, the Attorney General's
Office and the Indonesian Armed Forces commander.
According to available data, the Immigration Office last
month asked for entry bans for a total of 2,171 foreigners, the
Attorney General's Office for 99 and the Indonesian Armed Forces
commander for 186, he said.
He said a total of 328 people meanwhile had been banned to
travel abroad during the period because of requests from the
Immigration Office (20), the Ministry of Finance (119, the
Attorney General (179) and the Indonesian Armed Forces commander
(10).
Ghani said people whose names are on the immigration office's
black list "are involved in some problem." (rms)