Denpasar immigration detainees from Senegal and Uganda transferred to Makassar

Badung — Immigration authorities in Denpasar have transferred two foreign nationals, a man from Senegal and a woman from Uganda, from the Denpasar immigration detention centre to the Makassar immigration detention facility via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

According to Detik Bali, the transfer was carried out by officers from the Denpasar Immigration Detention House (Rumah Detensi Imigrasi Denpasar, Rudenim Denpasar) on 16 September 2026, with both detainees escorted under tight security during the flight to Makassar.

Bali Post reported that the detainees are identified by their initials as MF, a Senegalese national, and SM, a Ugandan national. The move followed approval from the Directorate General of Immigration in Jakarta, which oversees detention facilities nationwide, and was coordinated by the head of Rudenim Denpasar, Teguh Mentalyadi.

Immigration officials said MF had been held at the Denpasar detention centre since 14 October 2025 for overstaying his visa by 25 days, a violation of Article 78(2) of Indonesia’s Immigration Law. That provision allows immigration authorities to detain and deport foreign nationals who remain in the country beyond the validity of their stay permit.

SM has been detained since 17 April 2026 under Article 75(1) of the same law, after being accused by immigration authorities of providing false information in order to obtain a limited stay permit for work, known locally as an Izin Tinggal Terbatas (ITAS) for employment.

Both outlets reported that the transfer to Makassar was partly motivated by budget constraints at the Denpasar facility. Teguh Mentalyadi said the move was intended to optimise the allocation of funds for detainees’ meals at the Denpasar detention house, which has been under pressure from rising numbers of people in custody.

The two detainees were taken from the Denpasar facility to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung before being flown to Makassar, where they are now being held at the local immigration detention house pending further immigration procedures, including possible deportation.

Officials did not disclose the airlines used or the precise time of the transfer flight, but emphasised that standard security protocols were applied throughout the operation. The transfer adds to a series of recent moves by immigration authorities to redistribute foreign detainees between facilities in different parts of Indonesia when local capacity or budgets become strained.

Sources

• Detik Bali
• Bali Post
• JPNN Bali