REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Law and Human Rights Ministry suspended 5,785 applications for passports since early this year. It was done based on consideration that most of the passports will be used to become illegal workers abroad.
"We cancelled the applications because they were not clear. We did not issue passports to protect them because once they work illegally, they could be chased," Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly stated at a press conference here on Wednesday.
The figure slightly increased as compared to 5,059 last year, he noted.
The applications for passports were mostly suspended at the immigration offices in Medan, North Sumatra, with 642 applications; Pontianak, West Kalimantan, with 402 applications; Jember, East Java, with 315 applications; Tanjung Balai Karimun, Riau, with 305 applications; and Jambi, with 270 applications.
Director General of Immigration Ronny F Sompie revealed that 408 people had their departure delayed at 25 immigration check posts across Indonesia. The figure was far below last year's figure at 947.