Thus, Napitupulu clarified that the news regarding foreigners' villages in Bali was untrue.
"From our perspective, there is no foreigners' village in Bali. It is just that certain private areas, such as villas, were dominated by them," Napitupulu noted in a written statement received here Wednesday.
He also said that immigration had checked the areas inhabited by foreigners in Bali, such as several villa areas in Ubud, Gianyar.
He confirmed that most villa areas were inhabited by Russians.
"The villa area is indeed dominated by Russian citizens, who rent rooms there, and our immigration officers have checked their documents, such as residence permits, which exist and are still valid," he noted.
Napitupulu remarked that the news about foreigners' village in Bali surfaced due to the concentration of foreigners in a certain villa or inn area in Bali, and the local community then labeled it as foreigners' village.
However, immigration officers checked and found no special villages for foreigners since there is no law that allows foreigners to own property unless they are members of a business entity, he explained.
In order to ensure order and safety, his side will continue to coordinate with the indigenous people, including the traditional villages and the traditional village security unit (pecalang).
"We routinely collaborate with indigenous people because we know that traditional villages in Bali have an apparatus, namely pecalang. We also work with the Bali Police to carry out surveillance operations," he explained.
Napitupulu further noted that his side was actively taking action against foreigners found violating the rules during their stay in Bali.
The Law and Human Rights Service in Bali noted that in 2023, some 76 foreigners in Bali were deported since the January-March period. Of that figure, 20 are Russians.
He revealed that the violations that led to their deportation included overstaying their visas, misuse of residence permits, and other law violations.
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Translator: Genta Tenri M, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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