Indonesia deports Chinese national for visa misuse

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3 hours ago

Bima, West Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) – Bima immigration officials have deported a 47-year-old Chinese national for misusing a visit visa to run a seaweed trading business in Dompu District, West Nusa Tenggara Province.

Bima Immigration Office Head Joko Widodo said the action followed the discovery that WY’s business activities were not permitted under the immigration status.

“WY’s activities amounted to a misuse of a stay permit and violated applicable regulations,” he said in a statement received in Bima on Saturday.

The violation was uncovered during surveillance by the office’s immigration intelligence and enforcement team in Hu’u Village, Hu’u Subdistrict, Dompu District.

Officers became suspicious after WY bought large quantities of seaweed and personally tested the commodity’s quality at a processing plant.

Based on those findings, officers took WY to the Bima Immigration Office for questioning about the business activities and immigration documents.

Investigators found that WY held a multiple-entry visit visa allowing stays of up to 60 days but conducted business through a company WY had established in Indonesia.

Through the company, WY had conducted seaweed transactions totaling about 30 metric tons.

The seaweed was bought from a processing plant in Hu’u Subdistrict, then sold to customers in Surabaya and exported to China.

Joko said the investigation found that WY had violated Articles 122(a) and 123(a) of Indonesia’s Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration.

The Bima office imposed administrative immigration measures, including detention, deportation and a five-year ban on re-entering Indonesia.

“WY was therefore subject to administrative measures, including detention, deportation and a five-year entry ban,” he said.

WY was deported on Friday (October 30) through Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport in Lombok, under the escort of immigration officers.

Joko urged all foreign nationals in Indonesia to comply with immigration rules and ensure their activities match the type of stay permit they hold.

He also urged the public to help monitor compliance by reporting suspected misuse of stay permits by foreign nationals to the relevant authorities.

The office will continue monitoring the presence and activities of foreign nationals to ensure compliance with immigration regulations in its jurisdiction, he said.