JAKARTA – Two foreign nationals from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) fugitives in economic crime cases were successfully arrested by the Immigration Intelligence Directorate on Friday (13/10/2023) and Saturday (14/10/2023). Two men with the initials LZ and YX have been on Interpol’s wanted list since 2016 due to economic crimes committed in their home country. “We received a request for assistance in searching for the two foreigners from the PRC Government on 9 October 2023. Information regarding the identity and whereabouts of the foreigners was detected through the Face Recognition technology that we have and is integrated with the border crossing system. “Based on our database, LZ and YX are known to live in the Mangga Dua area, North Jakarta and LZ even already has an Indonesian ID card too,” said the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim on Friday (20/10/2023). From the results of further investigations, it was discovered that LZ and YX were respectively located in the Pantai Indah Kapuk area, North Jakarta and Cikupa, Tangerang. LZ was detained at a restaurant in North Jakarta, while YX was detained while playing futsal. The investigation was carried out by the Intelligence Directorate General of Immigration together with the Immigration Intelligence and Enforcement Team (Inteldakim) of the Tangerang Immigration Office and the North Jakarta Immigration Office. “The Directorate General of Immigration is committed to carrying out early detection and action detection so that Indonesia is not used as a place to escape for criminals or fugitives from other countries. “Indonesia must not be a place of escape for foreigners who commit criminal acts in their home country,” stressed the Director General of Immigration. LZ and YX have violated Article 196 of the PRC criminal law, namely committing financial or economic crimes. Based on Article 75 Paragraph 3 of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration, for their efforts to flee to avoid being punished in their home country. They will be subject to Immigration Administrative Action in the form of deportation on Thursday, 26 October 2023 to be tried in their country.

Oct 24, 2023

JAKARTA – 22 asylum seekers who have obtained refugee status departed from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to the United States for resettlement process on Monday, October 23 2023. Those 22 refugees from Afghanistan and Somalia lived in the Makassar Immigration Detention Center, Sulawesi South. The 22 refugees who received the opportunity to resettle to America consisted of 6 men, 4 women and 12 children.

“They came to Indonesia to seek protection because the political and economic conditions in their country were unstable. Here they take the opportunity to apply for refugee status to UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees, ed.)," explained the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim.

Resettlement is the selection and transfer of refugees from the country where they seek protection to a third country that has agreed to accept them as refugees with permanent resident status.

A refugee is someone who leaves their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. A refugee cannot or will not return to his or her country because the State is unable or unwilling to protect them from persecution. This is different from overstayer Foreign Nationals (WNA), to whom Immigration can immediately carry out Immigration administrative action (sanction) in the form of deportation back to their country.

Even though Indonesia has not yet ratified the 1951 Convention on Refugees, Presidential Regulation Number 125 of 2016 regulates that foreigners seeking asylum and international protection in Indonesia are subject to data collection through inspections by Immigration Detention Center (Rudenim) officers. The Directorate General of Immigration coordinates with the UNHCR office in Indonesia to find solutions for refugees.

Based on data from the DGI, the total number of refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia is 11,995 people. Most refugees in Indonesia come from Afghanistan (55%), Somalia (10%) and Myanmar (6%). DGI collaborates with UNHCR in solving refugee problems in Indonesia.

“This is our effort to solve the refugee problem in Indonesia in collaboration with UNHCR. I emphasize that Indonesia is not a transit country for refugees, we will continue to make efforts to stem the flow of refugees entering Indonesia. For those who have already here, we need to find solution for them," concluded Silmy.

Last updated 17 January 2024