"We invite all ship agents to know the arrival schedule of the cruise (cruise ships) at the port," the ministry's acting director general of immigration, Widodo Ekatjahjana, said here on Wednesday.
Immigration on shipping is an inspection process that is carried out directly on board cruise ships carrying international travelers to Indonesia.
Related news: Ministry prepares to handle spike in foreigners during G20 Presidency
According to Ekatjahjana, the optimization of the flow of international tourist arrivals is being carried out by cooperating with cruise ship operators.
"This is being done to drive the tourism sector through immigration policies that provide stimulants," he said.
For optimizing the flow of tourist arrivals, the security of immigration must also be paid attention to, he added. In other words, the duties and functions of maintaining security and law enforcement must continue to be implemented according to existing rules, he explained.
Therefore, Ekatjahjana urged that law enforcement in immigration be conducted using a humanistic approach, both when immigration officers communicate with foreign nationals and Indonesian citizens in the arrival areas of air and sea ports.
Related news: Indonesia to grant visas on arrival to Colombia, Maldives, Monaco
Another aspect to note, he added, is that immigration officers must be able to create a comfortable atmosphere and show friendly gestures.
According to Ekatjahjana, better service from immigration officers would align with the adjustment in the immigration's function priorities during the national economic recovery period.
Moreover, after the pandemic, immigration is essentially demanded to increase contributions to the community's economic development, he said.
"We are coordinating with (state-run port operator) Pelindo to find out if there are (operational) changes made," he added.
Related news: 'Second home' visa scheme could open new jobs: Minister Laoly
Related news: Immigration authorities map potential threats ahead of G20 Summit
Translator: M Zulfikar, Kenzu
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
