Indonesia's Bali deports 47 in crackdown on tourists misusing visa rules

JAKARTA, March 20 (Bloomberg): Indonesia has deported 47 people as tourist destination Bali cracks down on foreigners misusing their visas to work.

The people, of whom 13 are Russian, were deported for violating their stay conditions and misusing the residence permit.

One Ukrainian citizen is now undergoing court process after they were found holding a fake Indonesian national ID, said Anggiat Napitupulu, the regional head for the legal ministry.

Bali is stepping up law enforcement against foreigners recently, even banning them from riding motorcycles after a string of deadly accidents.

Over the weekend, hundreds of law enforcement officers kicked off a five-day operation to crack down on criminal activities, especially among tourists, ahead of the Balinese day of silence on Wednesday.

Deportation remains the last resort, Napitupulu added.

"If someone does not wear a helmet, should they be deported? If the same foreigner keeps doing that, maybe,” he said.

The government is still welcoming Russian and Ukrainian citizens to enter using visa-on-arrival, despite public calls to revoke their permits.

Indonesians have called out foreigners for traffic infrigements, including unruly behavior on roads and wearing no helmets, as well as for illegally working on tourist visas. - Bloomberg