Bali. The Ngurah Rai Airport Immigration Office in Bali's Badung Regency has established a cyber unit to enhance surveillance of foreign nationals potentially violating immigration regulations.

Head of the office, Suhendra, said the unit focuses on monitoring foreign nationals' activities through social and electronic media, aiming to identify behaviors that could disrupt public order and prepare regular reports on enforcement actions.

"Surveillance of foreign nationals must be proactive," Suhendra said, adding that the unit reflects the need for innovative methods to address technological advancements and increasing social media use. Immigration officers are now tasked with detecting violations early through media monitoring.

Despite being newly formed, the cyber unit has already identified four cases of residence permit misuse, resulting in deportations.

According to Bali Immigration's data, from January to October 2024, the office deported 159 foreign nationals and detained 209, with the majority of deportees coming from Nigeria (37), Russia (29), China (19), the United States (17), and Australia and Uganda (13 each). Overstaying and other immigration violations were the primary offenses.

During this period, the office processed approximately 11.7 million travelers, including 5.36 million foreign arrivals. The top five countries of origin for these international visitors were Australia (around 1.3 million), India (460,000), China (404,000), the United Kingdom (257,000), and South Korea (247,000).

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