Batam Immigration Tightens International Entrances In The 2024 Election

Head of the Immigration Information and Communication Section of the Class I Immigration Office Special for TPI Batam Kharisma Rukmana (photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Immigration Office Class I of the Batam Immigration Checkpoint (TPI), Riau Islands (Kepri) has tightened international entrances to the implementation of the 2024 General Election, as a measure to anticipate illegal or illegal coverage of foreign media.

Head of the Immigration Information and Communication Section of the Class I Immigration Office Special for TPI Batam Kharisma Rukmana in Batam, Tuesday said that for every foreign journalist who wants to cover the election, they are allowed to enter Indonesian territory on condition that they have a visit visa with the C-5 index for one trip for 60 days.

He mentioned that anticipation of foreign journalists entering Indonesia using tourist visit visas was also carried out by the Immigration Department by in-depth interviewing foreigners suspected of being journalists or carrying media coverage equipment.

"From the results of the interview, if an indication is found that the person concerned will carry out activities that are not in accordance with his visa, of course Immigration will send him back to his country of origin or report the foreigner to the intelligence department and the immigration enforcement department to be followed up," Kharisma said as quoted by Antara, Wednesday.

That way, he asked the public who found foreign journalists without a C-5 visa or foreigners suspected of reporting to the foreign surveillance team (Timpora) consisting of Immigration, TNI, Polri, Regional Intelligence Agency, and the National and Political Unity Agency.

"This is of course to ensure that elections in Indonesia, especially Batam City, run smoothly and peacefully," he said.

Previously, the Class II Immigration Office Behindpadang Batam City, Riau Islands increased supervision of foreign nationals (WNA) ahead of the 2024 General Election.

Head of the Class II Immigration Office Behindpadang Arsyi Aditya said the two surveillance methods carried out by Immigration were open and closed supervision.

"So we will maximize open supervision, we can provide socialization counseling to the public regarding supervision because we as immigration have shortcomings in terms of personnel, so we also need contributions from the community to be able to help carry out surveillance," said Arsyi.

Meanwhile, closed supervision is carried out by the Immigration Intellectual Section.