Beware undocumented workers in Bali: the provincial government says it is out to find you amid a recent controversy involving people reporting en masse foreigners working illegally on the island.
Bali Vice Governor Tjok Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati, who is affectionately known as Cok Ace, addressed the controversy yesterday, saying that the administration is going to crack down on undocumented workers.
“We still need foreign workers. [For example,] there are many Mandarin-speaking guides in Bali, but we of course do not allow for [work permit] violations,” Cok Ace said.
The issue came under the spotlight recently thanks to local anonymous Instagram account @moscow_cabang_bali calling out alleged undocumented workers in Bali, primarily from Russia. The page routinely posts crowdsourced content showing foreigners running a variety of businesses or freelancing in Bali, providing services in real estate, photography, and more.
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“It would be hard [to crack down] on [undocumented] wedding photographers. Occasionally, there are foreign couples who wed in Bali who take along with them their photographers, because they believe that the photographer knows their cultural nuances better,” the vice governor said.
Cok Ace stressed that he has no issue with foreigners working in Bali as long as they have obtained the appropriate permits. The administration is currently drawing up plans with the island’s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) to carry out crackdowns on undocumented workers.
“That’s why we have to move [against undocumented workers]. I hear they’re selling vegetables to their friends, too. That’s taking away business from local sellers,” he said.
“These are the people we are cracking down on.”
