Bali deports 62 foreigners in May

Indonesia’s immigration authorities in Bali said 62 foreigners were deported in May after a weeks-long enforcement operation that officials linked to visa breaches, overstays and other violations. The cases were disclosed after the “Dharma Dewata” operation, which ran from April 15 to May 4 across Bali’s main immigration jurisdictions, including Ngurah Rai, Denpasar and Singaraja. Officials said the operation targeted foreigners suspected of working illegally, overstaying visas or submitting false information in immigration filings. The announcement came as Jakarta separately pressed investors to look beyond Bali for tourism growth and as Virgin Australia prepared to open a new direct route from Canberra to Denpasar later this month. ### Why did Bali say it deported 62 foreigners? Bali’s regional immigration office said the 62 foreigners were picked up during coordinated checks carried out between April 15 and May 4. Antara reported that the operation was conducted under Article 75, paragraph 1 of Indonesia’s Immigration Law, which allows action against foreigners deemed to threaten public order or violate applicable laws. (en.antaranews.com) Felucia Sengky Ratna, head of the Bali regional immigration office, said the cases involved suspected overstays, false data in visa applications and illegal work. Indonesia’s national police immigration portal said those detained could face detention, deportation and blacklisting from re-entering the country. ### What rules are officials enforcing on tourist visas? (en.antaranews.com) Hendarsam Marantoko, director general of immigration, said foreigners who violate Indonesian rules must either comply or leave the country. The police immigration portal said the task force was set up on April 15 and focused on foreigner-heavy areas around I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar and Singaraja. (inp.polri.go.id) The cases fit a broader enforcement line from Bali immigration, which has tied recent checks to unauthorized employment and misuse of stay permits. Officials did not, in the sources reviewed, release a full nationality breakdown of the 62 deportees. ### How does this fit with Indonesia’s tourism push beyond Bali? Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Indonesia’s tourism minister, said on June 2 that the government wanted tourism investment to spread beyond Bali to support more balanced and sustainable growth. (inp.polri.go.id) Xinhua and Antara both reported that she made the remarks around Investor Roundtable 2026 in Bali, where she told investors that “Indonesia is not just Bali” and pointed to other destinations with tourism potential. (en.antaranews.com) Antara reported that the government was seeking more equitable tourism development nationwide, even as Bali remained the country’s main international tourism gateway. Traveltext, citing the same event, said Indonesia recorded 15.39 million international tourist visits, with nearly 7 million concentrated in Bali. ### Are flights to Bali still expanding? (china.org.cn) Virgin Australia said on January 28 that it would launch direct Canberra-Bali flights on June 22, marking its first international service from Australia’s capital. The airline said the route would operate three return services a week and add more than 40,000 seats a year between Canberra and Bali. (en.antaranews.com) Canberra Airport said the flights would depart Canberra in the afternoon and return overnight from Bali. Executive Traveller reported the service is scheduled to run through January 2027, with flights on sale. ### What happens next? June 22 is the next concrete date in the Bali travel pipeline, when Virgin Australia begins the Canberra-Denpasar service with three weekly return flights. (virginaustralia.com) Bali immigration officials have not, in the reviewed statements, announced a separate end date for intensified enforcement, and the tourism ministry has continued to court investors for projects outside Bali through its 2026 investment outreach. (canberraairport.com.au)