Merauke Immigration Deports 18 PNG Rugby Players
- 11 Sep 2026 16:13 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- Merauke Immigration deported 18 PNG rugby players for misusing border passes to travel to Jayapura.
- Authorities said Yellow Cards are only valid for residents in designated Indonesia-PNG border areas.
RRI.CO.ID, Jayapura - The Merauke Class II Immigration Office in South Papua has deported 18 Papua New Guinea (PNG) citizens after an investigation revealed they misused traditional Border Crossing Cards to travel deeper into Indonesian territory.
The group, representing the ABIP Rugby Seven Football Tabubil team, had entered Indonesia following an invitation from the Papua Province Indonesian Rugby Union Association to compete in the Papua Rugby 7th International Tournament in Jayapura. However, instead of obtaining formal travel passports and entering through the designated Skow Border Crossing Checkpoint (PLBN), the group used local border passes meant exclusively for border communities.
Indonesian authorities were alerted on August 19, 2026, when Boven Digoel Police personnel stationed at Tanah Merah Airport flagged the team's travel itinerary. Cross-checks with immigration databases at PLBN Skow confirmed that 16 of the individuals had no official entry record, while two had only manual logs.
Following official confirmation from the PNG Consulate General, all 18 team members were transferred to the Merauke Immigration Office before being formally deported overland via PLBN Yetetkun on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Immigration authorities reiterated that strict oversight along the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea border remains essential to prevent border pass exploitation and ensure international visitors comply with national immigration protocols.
Head of the Merauke Immigration Office Zulhamsyah explained that a Border Crossing Card (Kartu Kuning) cannot be used to travel to Jayapura, visitors must hold valid international travel documents. The Yellow Card is designated exclusively for residents living within the Indonesia–PNG border zone for specific local needs, such as shopping or visiting relatives.
"To attend events in Jayapura, PNG nationals must use valid travel passports and clear immigration through the appropriate port of entry at PLBN Skow," Zulhamsyah said in Jayapura on Thursday, September 10, 2026, as quoted by Antara. ***
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