Malang Immigration Office Arrests Chinese Migrant Workers
30 December 2016 15:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Malang Immigration Office arrested as many as 143 Chinese migrant workers on Saturday, December 17, 2016 before heading to Gresik, East Java.
"While waiting for work permits to be issued by the local manpower agency, they were having vacation in Malang," Malang Immigration Office head Novianto Sulastono explained on Friday, December 30, 2016.
The migrant workers arrived in Malang on Friday, December 16, 2016, and stayed at Sahid Montana Hotel near the Malang Military District Command. Some of them were taking a stroll and caught the attention of the Military District Command's Foreign Pepole Supervisory (PORA) team members.
"The PORA team members reported the existence of foreign people to us," Novianto added.
The Immigration Office personnel later came to the hotel and caught 139 men and four women did not have their passports with them. The migrant workers said that their passports are still held at the Tanjung Perak Immigration Office before their say permits are issued.
While waiting for the process, they decided to have a vacation in Malang. The permits were processed by the company who applied for the plan of foreign workers employment (RPTKA) with the East Java Investment Agency.
Novianto revealed that the Tanjung Perak Immigration Office in Surabaya had informed that had their passports and obtained visitor visas. Under Law No. 6/2011 on immigration affairs, visitor visa is granted foreigners who will travel for official, education, socio-cultural, tourism, business, family, journalism, or transit purposes.
The Malang Immigration Office viewed that the migrant workers could misuse their visas. However, since they are under Tanjung Perak Immigration Office's supervision, the migrant workers were sent back to the Tanjung Perak Immigration Office to avoid misunderstanding.
Malang Immigration Offices’ head of supervision and enforcement Baskoro Dwi Prabowo clarified that no arrests have been made against the migrant workers.
"They were not arrested bu suggested to go back to Surabaya to their sponsor," Baskoro said.
ABDI PURMONO
