BALINEWSID.COM, BADUNG — Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko personally led an immigration patrol in several tourist areas of Bali on Thursday night, August 27, 2026, resulting in 66 foreign nationals being taken in for further examination over suspected immigration violations.

The patrol involved nearly 100 personnel and was conducted in several locations, including North Kuta, Seminyak, and Canggu. The operation was carried out as part of regular immigration monitoring of foreign nationals in Bali.

Hendarsam said the patrol was aimed at conducting random checks to determine whether foreign nationals were complying with Indonesian immigration regulations.

“Today, from this afternoon, we found 66 people suspected of violating their stay permits. Approximately 33 of them had overstayed,” Hendarsam said.

According to Hendarsam, most of the suspected violations involved overstaying, meaning the foreign nationals remained in Indonesia after their permitted period of stay had expired.

Some cases were considered significant, with several foreigners allegedly overstaying for as long as one year. Others were suspected of using visas or residence permits that did not correspond to their activities in Indonesia.

“The majority were overstaying, meaning they had exceeded the validity period of their stay permits. There were also some who were using visas that were not appropriate,” he said.

Hendarsam said the foreign nationals came from various countries, with the largest number identified during the operation coming from African countries.

All 66 foreign nationals were taken to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office for further examination. Immigration authorities will determine whether administrative immigration measures, including deportation, are warranted based on the results of the investigation.

“They are still undergoing further examination tonight. We will most likely deport them if there are no more serious violations,” Hendarsam said.

He stressed that immigration patrols were not intended to disrupt tourists but rather to maintain security and order in Bali.

“We are not here to disturb foreign nationals. We want to maintain order and protect tourists who genuinely want to travel and enjoy Bali safely,” he said.

Hendarsam also highlighted the financial consequences of overstaying. Under Indonesian immigration regulations, an overstay fine is imposed at Rp1 million per day.

“If someone overstays for 60 days, they have to pay Rp60 million to the state,” he said.

He added that deportation costs are not borne by the Indonesian government. Foreign nationals subject to deportation are generally required to cover their own travel expenses. If they are unable to do so, they may be detained in accordance with applicable regulations.

The patrol also involved coordination with the police. Hendarsam said cooperation between immigration authorities and law enforcement agencies was important, particularly when foreign nationals are suspected of committing criminal offenses.

Hendarsam confirmed that similar patrols would continue to be conducted regularly in Bali.

He said immigration authorities must strike a balance between law enforcement and facilitating tourism, particularly because Bali has unique characteristics as an international tourism destination.

“We have to maintain a balance between law enforcement and facilitating the arrival of tourists. Our function is also to provide services, not only enforcement,” he said.

As part of its efforts to improve immigration services, the Directorate General of Immigration has also opened an Immigration Lounge at Discovery Mall Bali, allowing foreign nationals to access immigration services outside conventional immigration offices.

Hendarsam said the combination of stronger supervision and improved services was intended to ensure Bali remains a safe and orderly destination while safeguarding state revenue from immigration services.