Indonesian Immigration Deports 19 Foreign Citizens Without Covid-19 Vaccine Card

TEMPO.CO, Tangerang - The Class 1 Immigration Office of Soekarno-Hatta Airport denied the entry of 19 foreign nationals throughout the first week of the implementation of the emergency state of public activity restriction or Emergency PPKM, precisely from July 5 to 11, 2021.

The Airport Immigration Head, Romi Yudianto, explained their arrivals were rejected because they did not meet the travel requirements. “Such as not having a vaccine card,” he said on Monday, July 12.

Besides, the foreigners from various countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Brazil, Africa, the Philippines, and Bangladesh failed to present their visas and did not have clear purposes in Indonesia.

The foreign entry refusal, according to Romi, was in accordance with the circular issued by the Law and Human Rights Minister No. M.HH- 01.GR. 02.07 of 2021 regarding provisions of visa, entry permit, and stay permits during the implementation of the Covid-19 Emergency PPKM which was effective starting July 5. The foreigners were immediately deported to their country of origin.

The Immigration Office recorded that 4,305 foreign nationals entered Indonesia in July 2021. Since the Emergency PPKM was applied, foreigners are required to present the Covid-19 vaccination card as mandated in the addendum to the Covid-19 Task Force’s Circular No. 48 of 2021 on the health protocol for international travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read: Wave of Foreign Nationals Passing Through Soekarno-Hatta Immigration

JONIANSYAH (CONTRIBUTOR)