As reported by Kompas.com, the Ministry for Immigration and Prisons has taken resolute steps following complaints from Chinese passengers and a written protest from the PRC Embassy in Jakarta regarding frequent reports that immigration officials are extorting their nationals at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
As a remedial step, the Minister for Immigration and Prisons, Agus Andrianto, has removed several immigration officials working at the national main airport. The Minister has told the press that his actions were necessary after receiving reports and accompanying evidence supporting claims of criminal coercion.
“After we received the data, we immediately removed and replaced the (immigration) officials named in the data and reports provided by the PRC Embassy,” Agus told Kompas.com on Saturday, 01 February 2025. The officials suspended from their positions are now undergoing review and internal investigation by immigration officials.
It is unclear exactly how many immigration officials have been suspended in connection with the coercion reports.
The Minister stated that a thorough revamp of Immigration staffing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is needed to safeguard the integrity and quality of the services provided to travelers. He issued assurances that immigration officials removed from their positions would be sanctioned and punished in accordance with the law if found at fault.
The Minister took the opportunity to thank the PRC Embassy for formally providing the information on alleged coercion. He said that his Ministry would develop digitally-based procedures and auditing systems. Agus said these measures will provide easier, more transparent, and efficient immigration processing in the future.
Minister Agus Andrianto said: “We are grateful for the information provided by the PRC Embassy regarding the behavior of our members in the field, and we will continue to improve service for the sake of the Immigration and the prison system.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Roy Soemirat, issued assurances that his Ministry would continue to coordinate with all related ministries/government institutions both in Indonesia and with foreign representative offices in Indonesia, such as the Chinese Embassy.
The Chinese Embassy in Indonesia wrote a letter dated 21 January 2025 to the Directorate General of Protocol and Consular Affairs of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the extortion cases at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport. That letter detailed 44 instances of separate extortion committed against PRC citizens by Soekarno-Hatta Airport Immigration officials.
Following the written complaint, at least 44 cases have now been resolved, and a total of Rp. 32,750,000 has been returned to more than 60 Chinese citizens. The PRC Embassy cautioned that the total number of cases reported to authorities represents only a tiny portion of the actual cases, with many PRC travelers too busy or intimidated by fear of retaliation to file a formal complaint.
Chinese Embassy officials are urging airport officials to post prominent signage proclaiming “No tipping” and “Please report extortion.” They feel that Chinese travel agencies should be told in advance to advise their clients not to offer gratuities or bribes to airport officials.
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