BALINEWSID.COM, RUTENG, East Nusa Tenggara — The Class II Immigration Office of Labuan Bajo has donated operational motorcycles to five Immigration-Assisted Villages in Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, as part of efforts to strengthen immigration services and prevent human trafficking and migrant smuggling at the village level.

The handover took place in Ruteng on Monday (August 3) and was accompanied by a public outreach program titled “Strengthening the Role of Immigration-Assisted Villages as the Front Line in Preventing Human Trafficking (TPPO) and Migrant Smuggling (TPPM).”

The event was attended by Manggarai Regent Herybertus G.L. Nabit, Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration Saroha Manullang, members of the local Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), village heads and university students.

The operational vehicles are intended to improve the mobility of village officials in providing services to residents, particularly those living in remote and difficult-to-reach areas.

Saroha Manullang said the assistance reflected the government’s commitment to strengthening immigration services and public protection at the grassroots level.

He said the vehicles would enable village governments to disseminate immigration information, collect population data and coordinate more quickly with relevant authorities when immigration-related problems arise.

“These vehicles will serve as an important means for village governments to provide immigration information, collect data on residents and coordinate when problems requiring immediate attention are identified,” Saroha said.

Head of the Class II Immigration Office of Labuan Bajo Charles Christian Mathaus said the improved mobility was expected to help villages provide residents with accurate information about safe and legal procedures for working overseas.

Village governments, he said, would be encouraged to provide greater education on document requirements, official migrant worker placement channels and the risks associated with irregular migration.

“With better mobility, the early detection of suspected illegal recruitment of workers can be carried out more effectively,” Charles said.

He added that the Labuan Bajo Immigration Office was continuing to develop service and supervision innovations. One of them involves checking cruise ship passengers’ immigration documents while the vessels are still at sea, with the aim of speeding up services without compromising immigration controls.

Manggarai Regent Herybertus G.L. Nabit welcomed the assistance and urged the recipient villages to make optimal use of the vehicles for the benefit of local communities.

He also emphasized the importance of village governments monitoring residents’ social and economic conditions and ensuring that information and assistance related to overseas employment reach those who need them.

“Village governments must continue to pay attention to the social and economic conditions of their residents and ensure that information and assistance are provided appropriately,” Herybertus said.

The outreach session following the handover focused on the role of Immigration-Assisted Villages, procedures for legally working overseas and the importance of protecting migrant workers.

The program is part of broader efforts to increase public awareness of immigration documents and strengthen community participation in preventing human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The Labuan Bajo Immigration Office said it would continue expanding cooperation with Immigration-Assisted Villages to ensure the program remains sustainable and delivers tangible benefits to local communities.

With the support of operational vehicles, the villages are expected to play a stronger role as local centers for immigration information, public education and early detection of potential human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases.

Residents are also encouraged to report suspected illegal recruitment activities to village authorities or relevant government agencies, particularly when prospective workers are being recruited without proper documentation or through unofficial channels.