JAKARTA - The Directorate General of Immigration detained 687 foreign nationals during Operation Jagratara conducted across 270 locations throughout Indonesia from November 12 to 15, 2024. This operation is part of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' 100-day program, officially launched in October. In this Jagratara operation, 50 Immigration Technical Implementation Units were deployed.

To carry out Operation Jagratara, Acting Director General of Immigration, Saffar M. Godam, instructed the Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement, Barron Ichsan, to establish centralized control and command. Of all the units conducting the operation, the Surabaya Immigration Office was the unit that monitored the highest number of foreign nationals, detaining 92 individuals, followed by the Batam Immigration Office with 64 individuals, and the Tanjung Priok Immigration Office with 48 individuals.

"Of the 687 foreign nationals we detained, 128 of them were subject to legal action. Their violations varied, ranging from engaging in activities inconsistent with their granted residence permits to entering and staying illegally in Indonesia," stated Godam.

Further, Godam explained that the cases of foreign nationals failing to comply with their residence permits included prostitution, working as therapists or beauty service providers in spas, selling food, laboring, and even acting as project supervisors.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Immigration and Corrections (Minister of Imipas), Agus Andrianto, clarified that the primary goal of Operation Jagratara is to ensure that every foreign national in Indonesia adheres to prevailing immigration regulations. "This operation becomes increasingly significant given the rising number of visitors, particularly in the tourism and investment sectors," Agus explained.

Previously, the Directorate General of Immigration had conducted three Jagratara operations throughout 2024, detaining more than 3,000 foreign nationals. The Acting Director General emphasized that additional operations would be conducted under the Directorate General of Immigration to ensure that foreign nationals entering and staying in Indonesia are of quality.

"In line with the meaning of Jagratara, which is 'always vigilant,' the immigration team continuously monitors potential violations by foreign nationals throughout Indonesia. This is to help maintain national stability, provide a deterrent effect to those who violate regulations, and ensure public trust in the role of Immigration," concluded the Minister of Immigration.