The Denpasar National and Political Unity Office (Kesbangpol) is working on a joint team with personnel from immigration, police, military, and other related agencies to conduct spot checks on foreigners, mainly in Sanur.
Denpasar Kesbangpol Secretary I Gusti Agung Putera Dhyana said on Tuesday that the joint team is targeting Sanur Kauh and Pemogan because of the high concentration of foreigners settled there.
“Based on unannounced inspections, most have already obtained permission to stay, but most of them do not care about their neighborhood,” Dhyana told Antara Bali.
He explained that there seems to be a mismatch amongst foreigners with local residents. He added that foreigners often complain about disturbances caused by locals and their daily activities (perhaps he meant upacara, but he wasn’t too clear on what these activities area). Regardless, foreigners must comply with the local rules of the customs of the area, Dhyana concluded.
To try and deal with these constant misunderstandings, Dhyana said foreigners should familiarize themselves with the perarem (traditional village rules) in their area.
For instance, the village head of Banjar Gelogor, Jarot, said on the sidelines of an inspection on Tuesday that foreigners in his banjar must abide by Gelogor’s customary rules, which entail checking in on their whereabouts every three months. Foreigners should get their residence permits and make their presence known to the village head, along with a payment of Rp 150,000, according to Jarot. The official number of foreigners residing in Gelogor is about 69 people, he added.
Meanwhile, the current number of foreigners registered in Sanur Kauh Village totals around 500 people, according to Sanur Kauh Secretary I Made Dana.
