Authorities in Bali, Indonesia, have asked the central immigration agency to tighten the country’s visa policy for citizens of Russia and Ukraine after illegal tourists were found on the island.
According to official tourism data, Russians are among the largest groups of foreigners arriving in Indonesia. This month, at least four Russian citizens were deported for visa violations.
According to Reuters, Bali Governor Wayan Coster said on Sunday that he had asked the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to tighten visa requirements, in particular for citizens of Russia and Ukraine.
Wayne Coster added that the two countries were singled out because citizen offenses were more “significant”, such as the model who posed naked in a sacred tree and the man who allegedly hit a man while drunk driving. .
Indonesian Minister of Tourism Sandiaga Uno said that “the number of tourists from Russia and Ukraine who have created problems is still insignificant.” He added that he would discuss the issue with stakeholders and that any plans to change the visa rules should be “thoroughly considered.”
Between September 2022 and January 2023, more than 77,500 Russians and about 8,800 Ukrainians arrived in this Southeast Asian country.