Wamenkumham Edward Omar Warns For Immigration Officers, Be Careful In Issuing Passports

Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej/ Antara

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights (Wamenkumham) Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej reminded immigration officers to be careful in issuing passports.

"The actions of immigration officials are full of discretion. If this discretion is not in good faith, then cases of fake passports can be repeated," said the Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights at the book review seminar "The Position of Immigration Law in Indonesian Law" in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Thursday, January 20.

He mentioned the fake passport case of Adelin Lis alias Hendro Leonardi. In fact, the passport is not fake because it was issued by the North Jakarta Immigration Officer.

"The passport is real but the identity is fake," he said.

From this case, he considered there were two possibilities. First, if the immigration official finds out that the identity submitted by the applicant is fake and has been issued, then it is included in Article 263 paragraph (1) and paragraph (2) of the Criminal Code.

However, if the immigration official who issued the passport did not know that the identity being applied for was fake, then the condition was categorized as misleading facts, he said.

"So only God and immigration officials issue passports whether he knows the identity is real or fake," he said.

Therefore, every immigration official or employee must have good faith, namely honesty and propriety in carrying out their duties.

In addition to good faith, he said, every immigration official must have the principle of trust. This relates to a country must believe in the actions of foreign state officials against its citizens.

"Not only that, immigration officials must have a reciprocal principle," he said.

In this case, he said, if a country or immigration officials want their citizens to be treated well in other countries, they must treat foreign nationals well.

Because, he said, the object of immigration is a foreigner. At the same time, this aspect must be in line with or uphold human rights.