Bali may be paradise to some, but unlike Heaven, it comes with a time limit, and Balinese authorities are ratcheting up the penalties for those who don’t return to the ‘real world’ when their visas run out.
While over 400 overstayers have been deported from the islands so far this year, more serious penalties are possible. The possible jail terms for violators of long-term visas have been increased 6 to 12 months to has high as 10 to 20 years, likely not in heavenly circumstances.
Operation Jagratara, an enforcement crusade launched earlier this month by the Indonesian Department of Immigration, has deployed 125 officers, 20 patrol jeeps and a fleet of motorbikes to find and remove violators. According to The Bali Sun, increased immigration checkpoints and armed officers will be implementing the new rules with a “zero-tolerance approach” to foreigners breaking the law.
