Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Forty-eight foreign nationals will be flown from the Sentani Airport in the district of Jayapura to Jakarta, from where they will return to their home countries, an official announced on Wednesday.

Chairman of the Jayapura Immigration Office, Gatut Setiawan, told ANTARA that foreign nationals from several cities in Papua will be flown out. They include 35 Americans, 10 South Koreans, two Canadians, and a Japanese national.

The foreign nationals, the majority of whom are US citizens, will be flown in an Air Asia aircraft chartered by the US Embassy in Jakarta. "We will not be stamping their passports as they will return to their countries through Jakarta," Setiawan said.

Some foreign nationals who will return to their home countries have been carrying out religious services in the districts of Wamena, Mulia, and Sentani, informed Setiawan.

The plan was confirmed by provincial secretary of Papua, Ridwan Rumasukun, in a separate statement.

"There is indeed a plan to allow the foreign nationals to return via Sentani Airport, which has been approved by the Governor of Papua, considering we are still enforcing limitations on people coming in through air or sea. The majority of them are missionaries whose duties have been completed," Rumasukun added. (INE)

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Translator: Evarukdijati/Aria Cindyara
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