Indonesia Intensifies Immigration Operation, 346 Foreigners Caught

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration conducted a nationwide operation to monitor foreign nationals’ compliance. The operation took place across Indonesia from Tuesday to Saturday, April 7–11, 2026. It aimed to ensure adherence to immigration laws and regulations.

The operation, known as the Wirawaspada Operation, is a routine nationwide supervision activity. It involves all immigration work units operating simultaneously across the country. The initiative reflects Indonesia’s commitment to maintaining lawful foreign presence.

A total of 2,499 surveillance activities were conducted by immigration intelligence and enforcement officers. These activities were carried out throughout various regions in Indonesia.

From these efforts, 346 foreign nationals were secured and are undergoing further examination. Most surveillance activities, totaling 2,463 cases, were conducted using open monitoring methods.

Meanwhile, 34 activities were carried out through closed surveillance methods. These methods were applied due to higher operational risks faced by officers.

Before delivering his statement, Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement Yuldi Yusman explained the profiles of monitored individuals. He outlined the types of residence permits held by the foreign nationals. He then provided detailed data during the briefing.

"The foreign nationals under surveillance were dominated by holders of visit stay permits totaling 222 people, followed by limited stay permits totaling 112 people, and permanent stay permits totaling 7 people. In addition, there were also 3 asylum seekers and 2 illegal immigrants who were also part of the surveillance," he said.

Before continuing his remarks, Yuldi described the types of violations identified during the operation. He emphasized that most violations were related to misuse of stay permits. He then delivered his next statement.

"The forms of violations found include, among others, the use of stay permits that are not in accordance with their designation, alleged failure to report changes in immigration data, as well as indications of working without valid permits. Recorded respectively are 214 cases of stay permit use that are not in accordance, 48 cases of failure to report changes of address and data changes, 31 cases of not having valid documents, 24 cases of overstay, 17 fictitious investors, as well as several other violations such as disturbing public order," he said.

Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, stated that the operation applied a comprehensive and data-driven approach. He emphasized that strengthening supervision remains a priority alongside improving immigration services. He noted that both aspects must be balanced effectively.