VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Immigration Office in Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands Province, deported 50 foreign nationals last year for being involved in a number of legal cases including drug abuse and illegal fishing.

The figure dropped drastically from 186 a year earlier, Chief of the Tanjungpinang Immigration Office Hongky Juanda said on Saturday.

Most of the deportees were Vietnamese nationals involved in illegal fishing, he said.

"Before being deported to their country, they had served their jail terms in accordance with the Tanjungpinang District Court's verdicts," Hongky said.

The immigration office also denied entry to 70 foreign nationals last year, increasing significantly from 27 the year before, he said..

They were denied entry to the capital of Riau Islands Province because they demonstrated behavior which is against local norms, he said.

Some of them arrived in Pangkalpinang while they got drunk or had other purposes than the objectives of their visits to the province, he said.

"They wanted to go on vacation. But after we checked them, they had other purposes so they were denied entry," he said.

The immigration office will always try to tighten surveillance of foreign nationals staying in Tanjungpinang, he said.

"We are very selective. Foreign nationals traveling (to Riau Islands) must benefit the state. If they harm us, then why we will receive them," he said. (ANTARA)