"Even though they claim that it was all due to their negligence, we still carry out the deportation," head of the Denpasar Immigration Detention Center, Babay Baenullah, stated on Thursday.
He explained that the deportation was in accordance with the principle of ignorantia legis neminem excusat, which meant ignorance of the law does not excuse anyone.
According to Baenullah, the US national, with the initials EMD, and the Russian national, with the initials KT, had violated Article 78, Paragraph 3 of Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration.
EMD, a 44-year-old woman of North Sumatran origin, exceeded her residence permit for seven months in Bali. She claimed to have been ailing from health problems and was traumatized after her partner died.
EMD was then temporarily detained at the Denpasar Immigration Detention Center (Rudenim) on October 6, 2023, due to financial problems.
Meanwhile, the residence permit of KT expired in February 2021. He claimed to have lost his cell phone and could not extend his residence permit until he was finally taken to Rudenim Denpasar on October 12, 2023.
Related news: Bali deports 123 foreign nationals in Jan--May
The duo were then deported this Thursday via the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Baenullah stated.
EMD was deported to Texas, the United States, with the expenses covered by the US government representative office in Bali and KT returned to Moscow, Russia, at his own expense, he revealed.
Based on records from the Bali Province Regional Office of Law and Human Rights, some 236 foreigners were deported during the January-September 2023 period.
Most of the foreigners, totaling 63 came from Russia, 16 from the United States, 15 people from the United Kingdom, 13 from Australia, and nine from China, Baenullah remarked.
Meanwhile, in 2022, some 188 foreigners were deported from Bali.
Those foreigners were subject to sanctions for abusing residence permits, exceeding the period of residence allowed in their residence permits, committing criminal acts, and even violating legal norms and regulations in force in Indonesia, he remarked.
Related news: Ministry seeks more responsive monitoring of foreigners in Bali
Translator: Dewa Ketut S W, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
