Immigration Of Aceh Sea Water Patrol To Prevent Foreigners From Entering Illegality

A joint team from the Immigration Division of the Aceh Ministry of Law and Human Rights Regional Office and the TPI Lhokseumawe Class II Immigration Office conducted patrols in Aceh marine waters, Tuesday (16/5/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Imigration Lhokseumawe)

The Immigration Division of the Aceh Ministry of Law and Human Rights Regional Office and the TPI Lhokseumawe Class II Immigration Office conducted patrols in Aceh marine waters to prevent the entry of foreign nationals into Indonesian territory illegally.

Head of the Class II Immigration Office of TPI Lhokseumawe, Usman, said the patrol aims to increase immigration supervision in Indonesian marine areas and supervision in order to maintain the upholding of state sovereignty.

"The impact of the large number of foreigners entering and entering Indonesian territory with various motivations can have a positive or negative influence on Indonesia's national interests in the fields of ideology, politics, economy, socio-cultural, defense and security," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 17.

Patrols were carried out on Tuesday (16/5). The team moved from the Arun Special Port, Lhokseumawe using a Tug Boat and inspected the entry point for asylum seekers (asylum seekers) and illegal refugees (refugees) into Lhokseumawe waters.

According to Usman, surveillance patrols in Indonesian territory are one way to answer challenges from the influx of foreigners, which of course cannot be separated from immigration violations.

Immigration, which is under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, acts as the guardian of the state gate in accordance with Law of the Republic of Indonesia number 6 of 2011 concerning immigration.

According to Usman, his party owns the working area of Lhokseumawe City, Bireuen and North Aceh Regencies, which are one of the six immigration offices under the auspices of the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Aceh.

"With a large working area, the Immigration Office Class II TPI Lhokseumawe covers land and sea areas, of course immigration surveillance must be carried out. Moreover, these areas often have Rohingya ethnic arrivals stranded," he said.

Moreover, said Usman, the last 110 Rohingya ethnic groups were stranded on the coast of Meunasah Lhok Village, Muara Batu District, North Aceh on November 15, 2022. This was not the first time that this Rohingya was stranded in Aceh.

At least in previous years hundreds of Rohingya ethnic groups had also been evacuated from the east coast of Aceh," he said.

Because of the repeated incident, continued Usman, the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Aceh carried out joint operations with the Aceh foreign surveillance team and Lhokseumawe Immigration in order to strengthen supervision and enforcement of immigration laws in the Aceh marine waters.

He said the joint operation also aims to identify and directly inspect the entry or stranded Rohingya in Lhokseumawe waters.

"At the same time, recommendations and handling of the Rohingya ethnicity will be produced if they are stranded again in the area," he said.