Denpasar Plans Transfer of 10 Foreign Detainees to Kupang

Denpasar — Officials said on Oct. 1 that 10 foreign nationals held at the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre could be moved to the Kupang Immigration Detention Centre as meal funds in Denpasar ran low.

The plan concerns detainees awaiting deportation. Detention and deportation are separate steps: a transfer to another immigration detention centre does not itself remove someone from Indonesia. Deportation depends on costs, nationality status, travel documents and other administrative requirements, as well as medical clearance and whether the person is still needed in detention for legal proceedings.

Why the transfer matters to foreign detainees in Bali

For a foreign resident or visitor in detention, the practical effect of a transfer is a change in the facility responsible for the case and a move away from Bali. The reported plan does not state that all 10 detainees had been deported or that the transfer had already occurred. It describes a proposed relocation to Kupang while the relevant administrative and legal conditions remain in progress.

The Denpasar centre was holding 46 foreign detainees, according to the reports. Each detainee received a daily food allocation of Rp 39,000 (about US$2.30) for three meals. On that basis, the reported requirement for 46 detainees was about Rp 1.79 million (about US$105) per day, or about Rp 53.82 million (about US$3,170) over 30 days. Those figures were calculations based on the food standard, not the centre's actual expenditure.

Officials said the centre had previously moved detainees to other facilities, including Makassar and Kupang. The reported reason for the proposed movement of 10 more detainees was to optimize Denpasar's food-budget allocation while deportation cases continued.

The transfer would require approval from the Directorate General of Immigration, the Indonesian government agency responsible for immigration administration. The reports also said that detainees' basic needs remained covered by the state while they were held at the centre.

Sources

• detikBali — established regional news organisation
• kumparan — established Indonesian news organisation
• bali.idntimes.com
• lenteratoday.com