Ministry of Immigration and Corrections
Directorate General of Immigration
JAKARTA – The Directorate General of Immigration successfully apprehended 170 foreign nationals from 27 countries during the Wira Waspada operation, held from May 14 to May 16, 2025, in Jadetabek. Of those apprehended, 25 could not produce travel documents, 25 were suspected of providing false information, 24 allegedly had fictitious sponsors/guarantors, and 10 were overstaying their visas.
The Acting Director General of Immigration, Yuldi Yusman, explained that the arrests were based on public reports and field monitoring by officers. "Surveillance began on Wednesday, May 14, around 09.00. The team from the Directorate of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement conducted initial coordination with relevant parties. We then divided teams to visit the locations of foreign nationals in several apartments in Jadetabek that were targets of the operation. Additionally, teams visited several cafes in Central Jakarta and shopping centers in West Jakarta. Officers successfully apprehended 170 foreign nationals suspected of immigration violations, and we are currently conducting further investigations in the detention facility of the Directorate General of Immigration," Yuldi clarified during a press conference on Friday (May 15, 2025).
He detailed that the majority of foreign nationals apprehended in this operation were from Nigeria (61 people), Cameroon (27 people), Pakistan (14 people), Sierra Leone (12 people), Ivory Coast (8 people), and Gambia (8 people). These foreign nationals are suspected of violating Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration. This includes Article 78, which pertains to foreign nationals holding stay permits who remain in Indonesian territory beyond their validity period. They also violated Article 123, which stipulates that anyone who intentionally provides false or fabricated documents or untruthful information to obtain a Visa or Stay Permit for themselves or others can face a maximum prison sentence of 5 (five) years and a maximum fine of Rp500,000,000 (five hundred million rupiah). These foreign nationals may also be subject to Immigration Administrative Actions, such as deportation and inclusion in the deterrence list.
This Wira Waspada operation marks the third such operation carried out in 2025. Previously, similar operations were conducted in Bali, North Maluku, and the industrial areas of Morowali and Tobelo. Ten immigration offices located in Jakarta, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Depok participated in this operation. This operation was initiated in response to several cases of foreign nationals violating regulations by causing disturbances in public places.
Yuldi affirmed that the Directorate General of Immigration will continue to enhance supervision over the presence and activities of foreign nationals in Indonesia. "Immigration will take firm action against foreign nationals who do not comply with immigration regulations. We also urge accommodation managers and owners to report the presence of foreign nationals," Yuldi stated. On a different occasion, the Minister of Immigration and Corrections, Agus Andrianto, emphasized that such oversight operations will continue to be conducted routinely and on a national scale for the sake of national sovereignty. Minister Agus concluded, "Operation Wira Waspada is part of our simultaneous efforts to enforce immigration law to prevent disturbances to public order and curb the potential for criminal acts by unruly foreign nationals who violate regulations".
Last updated 16 May 2025
