JAKARTA - The Directorate General of Immigration of the Ministry of Immigration and Correction (Kemenimipas) is preparing strategic steps to support the national sports ecosystem through the provision of services for athletes and sports practitioners from abroad in Indonesia.
Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko stated that the support was part of the role of immigration as a facilitator, not only in terms of supervision, but also in encouraging the growth of potential sectors including sports.
"We will form a special team that handles the sports sector, so that athletes will be easier in the administrative process," he said after watching the 2026 IBL All-Star match at the Bandung Arena, Bandung City, West Java, Saturday night.
He explained that the formation of this special team aims to provide immigration services for foreign athletes who come to Indonesia, both to participate in competitions and to be involved in other sports activities.
According to him, the concept of sports entertainment that is developing today also encourages the increasing mobility of athletes and sports industry players across countries, so an adaptive and efficient service system is needed.
As a concrete form, Immigration will provide a special lane (fast track) for athletes so that they do not have to queue at the entrance to check documents at the airport.
In addition, the administrative process will be simplified through an application-based system to avoid repeated inspections.
Hendarsam considers this facility to be important to maintain the comfort of athletes, because long queues have the potential to affect their mood, which has an impact on their performance on the field. This will result in losses for the national clubs they defend, such as the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) and other leagues.
He added that the presence of foreign athletes not only contributes to improving the quality of the competition, but also serves as an ambassador who brings the image of Indonesia to the international arena.
In its implementation, Immigration continues to prioritize the function of supervision, especially for foreign nationals working in Indonesia.
However, the approach taken is more focused on coaching and prevention, including education.
In the future, the Directorate General of Immigration hopes that this policy can strengthen the national sports ecosystem, as well as provide a positive impact on economic movement through the holding of various international sports events in Indonesia.
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