Satpol PP says all parties continue to coordinate on foreign refugee issue
The Head of the South Jakarta Municipal Police (Satpol PP), Nanto Dwi Subekti, stated that all parties have agreed to maintain cross-agency coordination regarding foreign refugees residing on the pavement in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office on Jalan Setiabudi Selatan, Kuningan, South Jakarta.
“The Directorate General of Immigration, together with the Jakarta Immigration Detention Centre, will submit a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia as a step towards coordination and follow-up in resolving the issue of refugees who have not yet received aid quotas from the UNHCR,” Nanto said in Jakarta on Friday.
According to him, coordination is ongoing to find a comprehensive solution in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
As previously reported, the South Jakarta Administrative City Government conducted an enforcement action on Thursday (2/7) regarding foreign refugees living on the pavement in front of the UNHCR office in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
During this enforcement action, the South Jakarta Satpol PP conducted mediation and provided persuasive appeals to the refugees, encouraging them to clear the pavement.
“The refugees were urged to vacate the pavement area and move all their belongings by no later than 3:00 PM WIB on Thursday,” Nanto said.
He added that the mediation and appeals focused on enforcing public order, maintaining environmental cleanliness, and restoring the function of the pavement as a facility for pedestrians.
Data collection is also being conducted to find a solution that can accommodate the refugees’ aspirations, although decisions regarding their status remain entirely within the authority of the UNHCR.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR is still working to find a suitable relocation site for the 32 refugees involved.
Provisions regarding the handling of refugees under Presidential Regulation Number 125 of 2016 are currently undergoing a judicial review under the coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs.