Denpasar. The Denpasar Immigration Office handled 138 immigration violations by foreign nationals in 2024, a significant rise from 104 cases recorded in 2023, according to its annual report released Thursday.

Head of the Denpasar Immigration Office, Ridha Sah Putra, revealed that 15 of these cases involved online prostitution. The remaining violations included overstaying (64 cases), online fraud (6 cases), failing to report changes in civil status (two cases), and various offenses such as public disturbances, assault, robbery, and visa misuse (51 cases).

Ridha confirmed that all offenders faced administrative sanctions, primarily deportation. Most violators hailed from Russia, Nigeria, and Australia.

The immigration office also achieved record-breaking non-tax state revenue of Rp 140.5 billion ($8.67 million) in 2024, surpassing its target of Rp 73.7 billion. This revenue came from passport applications, stay permit issuances and visa services.

During 2024, the office issued 63,601 passports for Indonesian citizens, a rise from 55,773 in 2023. This included 31,414 electronic passports and 32,187 non-electronic passports. However, the office rejected 37 passport applications from individuals suspected of planning to work abroad illegally.

For foreign nationals, the office processed 45,082 stay permits in 2024, comprising 9,215 visit stay permits (ITK), 9,121 limited stay permits (ITAS), 893 permanent stay permits (ITAP), and 25,853 visa-on-arrival extensions.

In addition to enforcement, the immigration office launched educational initiatives to prevent Indonesian migrant workers from falling victim to human trafficking abroad. It established three "Immigration Village" programs in Sanur Kaja (Denpasar), Perean Kangin (Tabanan), and Marga (Tabanan) to raise public awareness about immigration issues.

"The program aims to enhance community understanding of immigration matters and foster collaboration with local governments as strategic partners," Ridha said.

The Denpasar Immigration Office oversees operations in Denpasar City and regencies including northern Badung, Gianyar, Klungkung, Bangli, and Tabanan. It is one of three immigration offices in Bali, alongside Ngurah Rai and Singaraja.

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