The Class I Immigration Office TPI Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara deported six foreign nationals from India who were stranded in Rote Ndao waters because they failed to sail to Australia in mid-January 2023. They legally entered Indonesian territory via Ngurah Rai Airport using separate visas on arrival between December 21 and December 25, 2023, but left Indonesia for Australia without going through border checks. ‘immigration.

“These six people were going to cross into Australia, maybe seek asylum there, but that didn’t happen because they were short of food,” the head of Kupang’s Class I immigration office said on Tuesday. , Darwanto (07/02/2023) .

Fitra Izharry, Information Technology, Communication and Immigration Officer at Kupang Class I Immigration Office, said that after arriving in Indonesia, these Indian citizens left for Makassar. Additionally, on January 13, 2023, they boarded a passenger ship bound for Saumlaki, Tanimbar Islands, Maluku before sailing to Australia.

The six Indian citizens each bore the initials GS, SS, KS, AS, SPS and HN. Along with three Indonesian citizens from Sulawesi serving as captain and crew, they took a boat to Pasir Island, but were stopped by Australian Customs and Border Security.

After being arrested, they were transferred to another boat and held for four days, before being ordered to return to Indonesia on January 19, 2023. The boat which was traveling on board an Indian citizen and three Indonesian citizens was arrested by water police around 8 miles from Masedae Beach, Inaoe Village, Rote Selatan District and Rote Regency.

“We will give measures to the immigration administration, we will deport them. We will also ban it for six months and later we will extend it,” he said.

The deportation process for the six Indian citizens was that they were flown to Jakarta using a Batik Air plane and then chased by an Air Asia plane to India with a transit at Kuala Lumpur.