"The move by the immigration (directorate general) is right and fast. This is owing to the number of COVID-19 cases on an upsurge in the country," Sahroni said in a statement here on Sunday.
Sahroni believed that Indonesia's policy is very reasonable because the handling of COVID-19 in the country is still ongoing, so it would be very risky to admit citizens from countries with very high rates of pandemic transmission.
Related news: Indonesia temporarily bans flights from India
"The handling of the pandemic in the country is currently still ongoing, so it is only natural that Indonesia first bans the entry of travellers from countries with high number of COVID-19 cases," he said.
The politician from the National Democratic (NasDem) Party also reminded immigration to always monitor and update information regarding the condition of COVID-19 abroad, so that they can make policies quickly and precisely.
The Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights has officially issued an entry ban for travelers from India to Indonesia.
"Besides the entry ban, we also temporarily suspend the issuance of visas for Indian citizens," the ministry's Director General of Immigration Jhoni Ginting said in a statement here on Saturday (24/4).
The regulation is issued by the Indonesian government in response to the latest drastic spike in daily COVID-19 cases in India.
The ban is also applied to every foreigner who has a travel history from Indian within 14 days before entering Indonesia.
Related news: Ministry to obtain COVID-19 vaccine supply for April following embargo
Translator: Imam B, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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