JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have detained 62 foreign nationals in Bali in an ongoing crackdown on violators of local customs and visa rules, officials said on Tuesday.
At least 2,600 foreign nationals in Bali were deported between January and July 2025, latest government data showed, while some 2,000 others were detained during the same period.
Immigration officers in Bali have been monitoring foreigners visiting the holiday island as part of a special patrol launched last month, following a surge in criminal activity involving tourists.
“Bali immigration has detained 62 problematic foreign nationals … These people committed dangerous acts or are suspected of endangering public security and order, or were found to have disrespected and disobeyed existing laws and regulations,” Felucia Sengky Ratna, who heads the immigration office in Bali, told reporters on Tuesday.
“These (special) patrols are part of our commitment to ensure that only foreigners who bring benefits and are respectful to local customs are permitted to stay.”
Bali is Indonesia’s top tourist destination, with more than 6.9 million foreigners visiting the island in 2025, making up over 44 percent of international tourists visiting the country that year.
But it has seen a series of brutal crimes and cases of misbehaving tourists in recent weeks, including the fatal stabbing in March of a Dutch national near Kerobokan village, a popular tourist area, which involved two Brazilian suspects.
Just last week, Indonesian authorities deported an Italian national after he violated traffic laws and pushed a police officer in a filmed incident that went viral.
The number of arrests announced on Tuesday were the outcome of the special patrols as it reached the end of its third week.
Ratna said most of the foreign nationals are still undergoing further investigation to determine whether their cases constitute crimes and require coordination with the police.
Authorities have also been working with village officials and Balinese public figures to monitor foreign nationals, especially in areas popular among tourists, such as Canggu, Kerobokan, and Ubud.
“We will welcome quality foreign tourists and investors, but as for those who look down upon Indonesian laws, there are only two options: comply with our rules or leave Indonesia immediately,” Hendarsam Marantoko, director-general of immigration in Indonesia, said in a statement.
“Bali, as a showcase of Indonesia in the eyes of the world, is a reflection of the nation’s dignity, and we will not allow foreigners to undermine the social and economic order of the local community.”
