Immigration Offices under Scrutiny Following Pilgrims Arrest

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said that the government would conduct an investigation into the involvement of the Immigration Office following the arrest of 177 illegal Indonesian hajj pilgrims by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

"We have information [regarding the immigration office involvement], and we're currently looking into it. Several immigration offices are under investigation," Yasonna said at the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Ministry office in Jakarta on Monday, August 22, 2016.

Yasonna revealed that he had issued an order for the director of immigration supervision and enforcement and the director for the immigration traffic to probe several immigration offices. However, Yasonna did not specify which immigration offices that he meant.

According to Yasonna, the hajj pilgrims comprising of 100 females and 77 males departed for Philippine using Indonesian passports. Upon their arrival in the country, they forged their identities.

Yasonna alleged that a syndicate operating in Indonesia and Philippine was involved in the case. However, he did not explain further about the syndicate. Yasonna emphasized that the government would prioritize the repatriation of the pilgrims.

Earlier, 177 Indonesians were arrested with five Filipinos allegedly arranging their departures for Saudi Arabia on Friday, August 19, 2016. A number of foreign media reported that the Indonesian pilgrims declared themselves tourists. They reportedly paid US$6,000 – US$10,000 to the syndicate arranging their travel.

YOHANES PASKALIS