Govt to Block Passports of Former ISIS Supporters
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13 February 2020 18:36 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia will immediately block the passport of its citizens who had left the country to join ISIS. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said the purpose is to prevent them from entering Indonesia.
"We will block their passports. Once the list of names reaches the Law and Human Rights Ministry, they will immediately be blocked," Mahfud said at his home in South Jakarta last night, February 12.
Mahfud said the policy is to prevent foreign terrorist fighters from entering Indonesia illegally. The government had said that Indonesia will not repatriate citizens who had joined ISIS, fearing they would pose a threat to the public's safety and security.
Mahfud said there are 689 people suspected to be foreign terrorist groups' fighters, compiled by Indonesian agencies as with the help of international intelligence, including the CIA.
Of the nearly 700 names, Mahfud said the government has confirmed the identities of 288—along with their addresses and phone numbers.
"We have submitted all names to the Law and Human Rights Ministry so they will be red-flagged and blocked from entering Indonesia," Mahfud said.
Egi Adyatama
