Immigration Officers Use Firearms Due To High Work Risk

JAKARTA - Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Silmy Karim said immigration officers needed firearms because they had high risks when conducting surveillance in immigration duties.

The Draft Law (RUU) on Amendments to Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration which has been approved by its ratification into law contains new regulations related to the use of weapons for immigration officers in the field of law enforcement.

"There has been a tragic incident, immigration officers died while carrying out their duties. In April 2023, North Jakarta Immigration Office officers were stabbed to death by foreigners who wanted to escape from the detention room. This foreigner was involved in terrorism and at that time was handled by Densus 88 Anti-terror together with immigration," said Silmy in a written statement received in Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, September 29.

In addition, according to him, high work risks also lurk immigration officers guarding national borders, especially conflict-prone areas. Officers often provide security against perpetrators of dangerous transnational crimes so that the use of firearms is necessary as self-protection and ensure officers can arrest the perpetrators.

Silmy said the threats of violence, terrorism, and riots that officers might face made weapons not only serve as a means of protection, but also cause a deterrent effect for foreigners who want to try to fight the officers.

In 2024, according to him, immigration performance in law enforcement will improve. Immigration action in January 'September increased by 124 percent, or more than double compared to the same period in 2023.

During January -September 2024, 3,393 immigration measures have been carried out by immigration work units throughout Indonesia. Thus, the volume of surveillance operations and higher immigration prosecution pose a greater risk to officers in the implementation of law enforcement.

"We will see references from other countries where the implementation of immigration functions is already advanced, such as Singapore, the United States, Germany, Australia, and Malaysia. Immigration officers in these countries are allowed to use firearms, of course with very strict rules," he said.

The Director General of Immigration said that the Government is regulating a mechanism for the use of firearms for immigration officers through ministerial regulations. This step was taken after going through a comprehensive stage of study and public testing.

"With this new responsibility, we will determine strict criteria for officers who are entitled to carry firearms, as well as clear use procedures, including the limits. For now, the use of firearms has not been implemented because they are still waiting for derivative regulations," said Director General of Immigration Silmy Karim.