Bali Immigration Detention Center Transfers 27 Foreign Detainees to Other Provinces to Cut Costs
Denpasar Immigration Detention Center in Bali transferred 27 foreign detainees to facilities in other Indonesian provinces, including Papua and East Nusa Tenggara, between January and September 2026 to reduce operating costs. The move comes as the facility's meal budget covers only 30 of its 80-person capacity. Most detainees were held for overstaying visas or involvement in security and public-order disturbances.
Denpasar Immigration Detention Center, located in Jimbaran, Badung District, Bali, announced that it transferred a total of 27 foreign detainees to facilities in other provinces between January and September 2026. The transfers, approved by the Directorate General of Immigration in Jakarta, are described as part of detainee management aimed at reducing operating costs.
Among those moved were a Russian-Israeli dual national sent to Jayapura, Papua Province, on February 24; an Algerian national transferred to Jakarta on May 19; nationals of Moldova, Nigeria and Estonia sent to Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Province, on June 9; and nationals of Uganda and Senegal transferred to Makassar, South Sulawesi Province, on September 18. Most recently, on October 15, ten detainees — two Afghans, three Filipinos, two Ugandans, one Belarusian, and two Turkish nationals — were moved to Kupang.
Most of those detained had violated immigration rules by overstaying their permits or had been involved in security or public-order disturbances.
The Jimbaran facility currently houses 25 foreign nationals against a capacity of 80, but its meal budget — set at Rp39,000 (about US$2.16) per detainee for three daily meals — effectively covers only 30 people. Before transfer, all detainees underwent administrative and medical checks to ensure safe, orderly procedures in line with regulations.
Denpasar Immigration Detention Center Chief Teguh Mentalyadi said transfers between detention centers are carried out according to operational needs, adding that the facility continues to prioritize security and the fulfillment of detainees' basic rights.
Things to Consider
This development poses no direct risk to tourists or residents currently in Bali, but it highlights that overstaying a visa or being involved in public-order disturbances can lead directly to detention and deportation. Regularly check your visa expiry date via official immigration channels or apps and renew or extend it before it lapses. It is also advisable to keep your embassy's contact details and a copy of your passport on hand in case of any legal or immigration-related issue.
Source: ANTARA