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)