In brief
In late October, Bima immigration officials deported a Chinese national named WY for exploiting a multiple‑entry visit visa to conduct a seaweed export business. The investigation revealed that the commercial activities violated Indonesia’s immigration law, leading to detention, deportation and a five‑year entry ban.
Indonesia’s Bima immigration office on October 30 deported a 47‑year‑old Chinese national, identified in the authorities’ report as WY, after a surveillance operation revealed that he was running a seaweed trading enterprise under a visit visa.
According to a statement issued by Bima Immigration Office Head Joko Widodo, the action followed evidence that WY’s business activities were not permitted under his multiple‑entry visit visa, which allowed stays of up to 60 days.
The investigation began when officers at the office’s immigration intelligence unit in Hu’u Village, Hu’u Subdistrict, Dompu District, noticed that WY had purchased large quantities of seaweed and personally conducted quality tests at a local processing plant. Their findings prompted a formal inquiry into the nature of his commercial dealings.
Investigators discovered that WY had established a company in Indonesia and used that legal entity to carry out seaweed transactions amounting to roughly 30 metric tons. The company bought the seaweed from the Hu’u plant, sold it to buyers in Surabaya, and arranged for its export to China.
These activities, the officials said, violated Articles 122(a) and 123(a) of Indonesia’s Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration, which prohibit the use of a stay permit for economic enterprises that are not allowed under the visa category.
Following the findings, the Bima office imposed administrative immigration measures on WY, including detention, deportation and a ban on re‑entry for five years. The deportation took place at Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport in Lombok, with immigration officers escorting the national out of the country.
In the statement, Joko Widodo urged foreign residents in Indonesia to ensure that their activities are consistent with the type of stay permit they hold, and called for public vigilance in reporting suspected violations of immigration rules.
“WY was therefore subject to administrative measures, including detention, deportation and a five‑year entry ban,” Joko said in a statement received in Bima on Saturday.
The case underscores the Indonesian government’s ongoing enforcement of its immigration regulations, which are designed to prevent the exploitation of visitor visas for the purpose of commercial operations.
Officials noted that the Bima office’s surveillance and enforcement team had monitored the company’s transactions and, upon confirming policy violations, moved swiftly to take action against the suspect.
As part of the administrative proceedings, authorities examined WY’s documents and found that his multiple‑entry visa did not provide the legal basis for the business activities that he conducted.
With the dismissal of the case, the Bima immigration office aims to reinforce compliance with national immigration laws and to deter similar misuse of visiting permits in the future.
Engagement with the wider public, the office emphasized, is essential to maintain the integrity of the immigration system and uphold the legal expectations set for all foreign nationals conducting activities in Indonesia.
