Syntax Literate: Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia p–ISSN: 2541-0849 e-ISSN: 2548-1398

Vol. 9, No. 5, Mei 2024

 

ON ARRIVAL VISA POLICY ON NATIONAL SECURITY

 

Yunishella Purwanty1, Eko Daryanto2

Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia1,2

Email: y[email protected]1, e[email protected]2

 

Abstract

After the Covid-19 pandemic ended, there were changes in Indonesian immigration. The addition of visa on arrival subjects and the temporary suspension of visa-free visits is one way to restore the national economy. This research examines the impact of the visa on arrival policy on national security and analyzes whether this policy is still effective in the current era. This research uses a qualitative research type with literature study. From this research, the results show that immigration violations and the threat of transnational crime are still widespread after the latest visa on arrival policy was implemented, and in the current era, especially after the pandemic, there is a need for a capable system to provide immigration services as well as improve better security so that it can reduce threats and risks from violations committed by foreign nationals. The newly implemented e-VOA can be an effective innovation used in the current era to later replace manual VOA requests.

Keywords: Visa On Arrival, Foreign Citizens, National Security

 

Introduction

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China which quickly spread to various other countries made the world situation and conditions not good. The large number of active cases affecting almost all countries has forced many countries to close their country's entrances or border areas to prevent foreigners from passing through, or what is called a lockdown. The discovery of the first confirmed positive case in Indonesia was declared in March 2020 (Hanggara, 2020), and the Indonesian Government acted quickly by implementing the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policy as regulated in Government Regulation Number 21 of 2020 concerning Large-Scale Social Restrictions in the Context of Accelerating Handling of Corona Virus Disease 2019.

These restrictions not only limit people within the country, but also the movement of foreign nationals entering Indonesian territory is also restricted. The incoming and outgoing traffic of foreign nationals is the responsibility of the Directorate General of Immigration. In line with the policy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia regarding the PSBB, a policy was also issued governing foreign nationals as stated in the Regulation of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number 3 of 2020 concerning Temporary Suspension of Free Visit Visas, Visas and Granting of Stay Permits in Forced Circumstances for Citizens. People's Republic of China. This is a quick response in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic crisis because the virus originated in China.

In addition to temporarily suspending the granting of free visit visas for Chinese citizens, in line with the massive spread of the Covid-19 virus, the Directorate General of Immigration has also temporarily suspended the Free Visit Visa (BVK) facility for countries listed in Presidential Regulation Number 21 of 2016 and Visas. Visit on Arrival (VKSK) or Visa On Arrival (VOA) for countries listed in the Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation Number 39 of 2015. Reported from the Detik Finance page, the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary suspension for foreign citizens to Entering Indonesia certainly brings various impacts. Apart from being felt in the health sector, namely since the beginning 399 victims died in mid-April (Idhom, 2020), the decline in Indonesia's economic growth rate from previously 5% in 2019 to 2.5% in 2020 (Indraini, 2020) , and also what was recorded by the Central Statistics Agency regarding Indonesian tourism was that 28.85% of foreign tourist visits decreased in February 2020 when compared to the previous year (Pradana & Mahendra, 2021).

Before the pandemic, since 2016 the number of countries receiving visa-free visit facilities was 169 countries and had a positive impact on the world of Indonesian tourism. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the existence of this visa-free policy has resulted in tourism in Indonesia experiencing a significant increase in ranking in The Travel and Tourism Competitive Index (Indrady, 2021). This visa-free policy has also had an impact on reducing visas on arrival at airport Immigration Checkpoints (TPI). Soekarno Hatta. Before implementing visa-free visits to 169 countries, immigration officers could give 400 visa on arrival vouchers to foreign citizens who would enter Indonesian territory. After this policy was implemented and given to countries that previously received visa on arrival facilities, there was a significant reduction to 50 vouchers in one work shift (Syahrin, 2018b). On the one hand, the visa-free visit policy for 169 countries is able to bring in up to 9 million foreign tourists arriving in 2017, but on the other hand, this visa-free policy also causes many violations which are considered to be as big as the economic potential gained from tourist arrivals.

Immigration policies during the pandemic continue to change and are evaluated according to the existing situation and conditions (Kusumawardani, 2020). The implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PKMM), which is the government's policy in dealing with Covid-19 so that it does not spread further, has been officially revoked and is listed in Minister of Home Affairs Instructions Number 50 and 51 of 2022 (Kemensetneg, 2022). After the pandemic, Indonesia began to reopen its borders to foreign citizens. This is shown in the policy issued by the Directorate General of Immigration in order to support domestic tourism as stated in the Circular Letter of the Directorate General of Immigration Number IMI-0708.GR.01.01 of 2022 concerning Immigration Policy Regarding Visit Visa Services on Arrival and Free Visit Visa for Supporting Sustainable Tourism During the Covid-19 Pandemic. This policy is aimed at ASEAN countries as subjects receiving visa-free facilities, and 86 countries receiving visa-on-arrival facilities.

When a pandemic emerged, the situation and geopolitics related to migration and the movement of people in and out also changed. Likewise, Indonesia, from the beginning of the pandemic, closed its borders to foreign nationals, but after the pandemic was felt to have subsided, the post-pandemic immigration policy was adjusted to accept foreign nationals who came using visas, one of which was visa on arrival and the visa-free visit policy was still stopped. temporary. Not long after the publication of the Directorate General of Immigration's Circular Letter Number IMI-0708.GR.01.01 of 2022 which contains policies regarding subjects receiving visit visa facilities using visa on arrival, the Directorate General of Immigration launched a new innovation, namely Electronic Visa On Arrival (E-VOA). The launch of the E-VOA application was carried out on November 10 2022 in Nusa Dua, Bali with the aim of increasing the arrival of foreign tourists and opening business opportunities for investors and business people to invest in Indonesia and also as an effort to support the G20 Summit in Bali which was held in November 2022 (Singaraja Immigration, 2022).

Visa on arrivalis a type of visa that can be applied for manually and payment is made when foreign nationals arrive at a designated Immigration Checkpoint, but this is different from E-VOA which requires foreign citizens to apply for a visit visa upon arrival via an application and make payment before they arriving and arriving at the Immigration Checkpoint in Indonesian territory (Estheria et al., 2022). At the end of June 2023, the Government declared that Indonesia was free from the pandemic and the status had been changed from pandemic to endemic in Indonesia, with the issuance of Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 17 of 2023 concerning Determination of the End of the Covid-19 Pandemic Status in Indonesia (Setkab Public Relations, 2023). With the end of the pandemic in Indonesia, foreign citizens can enter and leave easily across Indonesia's borders. Post-pandemic changes were also followed by immigration with the issuance of Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number M.HH- 02.GR.01.06 of 2024 concerning the List of Countries, Special Administrative Region Governments of a Country, and Certain Entities Subject to Visit Visas on Arrival, which contains 97 countries. With this new policy, almost all countries that were previously provided with visa-free visit facilities are now recipients of visa-on-arrival facilities.

The Directorate General of Immigration, as the front guard in regulating the movement of Indonesian citizens and foreign citizens in and out of Indonesia, has the functions stated in Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration. In article 1 number 3, the functions of immigration include immigration services, law enforcement, state security and facilitator of community welfare development. In terms of the function of immigration as a facilitator of community welfare development, immigration plays an important role in contributing to the country's foreign exchange by the arrival of foreign nationals to help the national economic recovery after the pandemic. In the first quarter of 2023, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded an increase in foreign tourist visits of 508.87% or 2.5 million visits compared to the same period in 2022 (Purwowidhu, 2023).

On the one hand, the arrival of foreign nationals brings benefits to the country's economy and tourism, but not to national security aspects. The post-pandemic policy of granting visas on arrival to 97 countries which were previously countries that received visa-free visiting facilities needs special attention. This is because there are many immigration problems and violations as well as legal violations caused by foreign citizens in Indonesia who come using free visit visas or visas on arrival. The large number of violations committed by foreign nationals living in Indonesia raises a separate question regarding the policies and mechanisms for accepting every foreign national who enters Indonesian territory. Indonesia adheres to a selective immigration policy system, which is stated in Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration Article 75, which means that only foreign nationals who are useful and do not endanger security or public order are allowed to enter Indonesia. This shows that there is a need for prevention and supervision in the implementation of accepting foreign nationals in order to realize this selective policy. Efforts made to prevent foreign citizens who do not bring benefits and can be a dangerous threat to national security from entering a country are by issuing visas, and one type of visa in Indonesia is a visit visa on arrival or visa on arrival (VOA). .

The implementation of the visa on arrival policy was first regulated in the Decree of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights (Kepmenkumham) of the Republic of Indonesia Number M-04.IZ.01.10 of 2003, which then underwent several changes until it was finally regulated in Permenkumham Number 22 of 2023 concerning Visas and Residence Permit. In this policy, an On Arrival Visa is given by the Immigration Officer upon arrival at the Immigration Checkpoint (TPI) which has been determined by the government to issue an On Arrival Visa which is given to foreign nationals from certain countries for tourism purposes, business visits, social culture and so on. . Visa On Arrival is a type of visa that allows a foreign citizen to obtain a visa when arriving in the destination country, and this means that the foreign citizen does not need to obtain a visa before leaving his home country (Hamidi & Christian, 2015).

TPI itself is a reflection of imaginary state sovereignty determined by immigration authorities so that only immigration officers have the authority to supervise the movement of foreign citizens (Syahrin, 2018a). Provisions for immigration inspection at Immigration Checkpoints are contained in the International Convention, namely ICAO Annex 9, 2017 Facilitation, which includes inspection of facilities for people, goods, animals, and means of conveyance or transportation which includes the pre-arrival inspection process, entry inspection into a country, law enforcement at the border or which is commonly known as border integrity (Arifin & Nurkumalawati, 2020). As a stakeholder tasked with monitoring the movement of foreign nationals when entering and leaving Indonesia, Immigration's task is certainly not easy. On the one hand, carrying out the function of community development facilitator by providing public services must be carried out well, on the other hand, officers must continue to carry out optimal supervisory functions over foreign citizens. With the many violations committed by foreign nationals in Indonesia, and with the implementation of the visa on arrival policy which has increased the list of countries so that it becomes much larger, it is necessary to analyze further whether the visa on arrival policy is still appropriate to be implemented in the post-pandemic era.

This research aims to :

1)  Review and analyze the impact of the latest visa on arrival policy on national security

2)  Find out and analyze further whether the visa on arrival policy is still appropriate and appropriate to use or is no longer suitable for use in accepting foreign nationals to Indonesia.

 

Research methods

In this research, researchers used a qualitative descriptive approach with a literature study research type. This descriptive research was carried out by describing existing phenomena without making them up. Creswell defines qualitative research as research that describes an event starting with assumptions and then using an interpretive framework that explores the research problem, then analyzes the meaning that individuals or groups give to the social problem. Qualitative researchers will collect their own data by examining documents, observing behavior, and interviewing informants (Cresswell, 2007).

To obtain this data, the data source that will be used by researchers is primary data sources, which are obtained from literature studies to analyze and describe the research. Researchers also use secondary data sources obtained from interviews, internet sites or from other references related to research as supporting data in the research being conducted.

 

Results and Discussion

Visa on arrival policy

Visas in Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration are: "Remarksa written statement given by an authorized official at the Representative Office of the Republic of Indonesia or at another place determined by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia which contains approval for foreigners to travel to Indonesian territory and is the basis for granting a residence permit. Every person entering Indonesian territory is required to have a valid and still valid visa." Visas are an important instrument used by states to control and monitor the entry and exit of foreign citizens (Czaika et al., 2018). In Indonesia there are several types of visas, one of which is a visit visa on arrival or what is commonly known as a visa on arrival (VOA).

The visa on arrival policy was first issued in the Decree of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights (Kepmenkumham) of the Republic of Indonesia Number M-04.IZ.01.10 of 2003 which then underwent several changes until it was finally regulated in the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number M.HH-02.GR.01.06 of 2024 concerning the List of Countries, Governments of Special Administrative Regions of a Country, and Certain Entities Subject to Visit Visas on Arrival. In this latest policy, there are 97 countries that get visa on arrival facilities and only ASEAN countries are given visa-free visit facilities. On Arrival Visas are given by Immigration Officials upon arrival at the Immigration Checkpoint (TPI) which has been determined by the government to issue On Arrival Visas, which are given to foreign nationals from certain countries for tourist purposes, business visits, social culture and so on.

In 2022, the Directorate General of Immigration launched the Electronic Visa On Arrival (E-VOA) application which is regulated in Circular Letter Number IMI-0794.GR.01.01 of 2022 concerning Immigration Policy Regarding Visit Visa Services on Electronic Arrival (Electronic Visa On Arrival/ E- VOA), Visit Visa on Arrival (Visa On Arrival), and Free Visit Visa to Support Sustainable Tourism During the 2019 Covid Pandemic. The presence of E-VOA is expected to increase foreign tourist arrivals and open business opportunities for investors and business people to invest in Indonesia (Singaraja Immigration, 2022). In contrast to visa on arrival (VOA), E-VOA requires foreign citizens to apply for a visit visa on arrival through an application and make payment before they arrive and arrive at an Immigration Checkpoint in Indonesian territory (Estheria et al., 2022).

In Permenkumham Number 22 of 2023, a visa on arrival is granted for a stay of 30 days from the date of entry into Indonesia, and can be extended once. In article 17, a visa on arrival can be granted to foreigners who carry out activities such as tourism, family visits, continuing trips to other countries, business, attending meetings, purchasing goods, undergoing treatment and government duties. Providing visas in Indonesia based on Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration must use the principle of selective immigration policy, which means that only foreigners are deemed to be able to provide benefits to the welfare of the people, and do not endanger order and security for the people and the state. who can be allowed to enter or leave Indonesia.

The granting of visas on arrival has been around for a long time, but has experienced a decline because many foreign nationals prefer to use visa-free facilities to enter Indonesia (Syahrin, 2018b). On the one hand, the Indonesian government is opening its doors as wide as possible to foreign tourists in order to increase economic growth, and the visa-free policy is one of its efforts. From the latest policy regarding visa-free visits, namely Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 21 of 2016 which is given to 169 countries, it has the potential to cause security threats, reduced state revenues, misuse of immigration residence permits, and so on, while the principle of immigration is a selective and reciprocal policy (Erdian, 2018 ).

After the pandemic, many changes have occurred in people's lives because we are forced by circumstances to maintain distance, reduce mobility, and work from home and utilize technology to carry out daily activities. Apart from that, it also had a very significant impact on the Indonesian economy. There has been a decline in foreign investment which can be seen through a slowdown in economic growth from 5.02% in 2019 to 2.97% in 2020 (Melati, 20230. Since the pandemic has become more under control, Nia Niscaya as Deputy for Strategic Policy at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Baparekraf said that the visa policy on arrival can be considered successful in increasing Indonesian tourism (Kemenparekraf RI, 2023). This makes the Directorate General of Immigration further increase immigration innovation by issuing policies to help national economic recovery. To increase the arrival of foreign tourists and facilitate business opportunities for foreign investors, the Directorate General of Immigration launched the E-VOA innovation and E-VOA is an immigration visa policy that has the same use and the only difference is the method of application, VOA uses a manual method which is carried out at TPI and E-VOA uses a web-based application method before arriving in Indonesia (Singaraja Immigration, 2022).

 

Visa On Arrival Policy Against National Security

Buzan (1991) shows a broader understanding of security, namely that it does not only include military aspects and state actors, but security includes non-military aspects and non-state actors. In his book People, State and Fear (1991) there are three levels of security, namely individual, state and international system. Individual security and state security are an inseparable unit. According to Buzan, the five types of threats at the state level include military, political, social, economic and environmental threats. Likewise, the state or government in this case can protect its people from these threats or actually endanger its people if they implement bad policies. In the international system, threats to countries are no longer in the form of military threats but in other forms such as economic and international political threats (Buzan, 1991).

The addition of countries as recipients of the visa on arrival policy facility and the launch of the electronic visa on arrival is expected to help Indonesia recover after the crisis caused by the pandemic, by making entry easier for foreign citizens to come to Indonesia. Based on data obtained by researchers from the Directorate General of Immigration, Soekarno Hatta Airport is still the Air TPI that dominates the crossing of foreign nationals throughout 2023 with 6,848,902 arrival visits, with a total of 1,012,744 arrivals of foreign nationals utilizing the visa on arrival facility. Reporting from the official Instagram social media page of the Directorate General of Immigration which has the username ditjen_imigration, the entry process using a visa on arrival itself is considered easy just by fulfilling the requirements as a citizen who is registered as a recipient of the visa on arrival facility, a valid passport, a return ticket or ticket continuation and proof of visa payment (Directorate General of Immigration, 2024). It is not surprising that foreign nationals entering Indonesian territory are increasing every year and it is said that many are using visas on arrival because the conditions for applying for these visas are easy.

National security today is not only limited to military strength, but also non-military threats that are dangerous to the nation and state as mentioned by Buzan. The arrival of foreign nationals generally has a positive impact but also threatens national security. The increasing migration of foreign nationals to Indonesia can also increase immigration violations, legal violations or even transnational organized crimes which can endanger society. Indonesia, which adheres to a selective policy in accepting foreign citizens, in which it uses a security approach and a prosperity approach, of course not only considers the benefits of contributing to the country's foreign exchange, but also pays attention to the security and welfare of the people who will feel the impact of the large number of citizens. foreign countries in Indonesia. These two approaches must be considered simultaneously because they require an equally important balance (Santoso, 2014).

In the principle of selective policy, only foreign nationals who provide benefits and do not endanger order and security are allowed to enter Indonesian territory. This means that immigration officials who have the task of checking every foreign citizen who enters do not only prioritize the immigration service aspect, but must also be based on security checks because if this aspect of the security check is not carried out, the possibility of violations will also increase. Visas on arrival applied for when foreign citizens arrive at the Immigration Checkpoint are more vulnerable to misuse which will have a negative impact on national security. Even though in previous studies there was more discussion about immigration violations occurring because of the presence of visa-free visits to 169 countries, since the pandemic visa-free visits have been temporarily stopped and after the pandemic, countries receiving the visa-free policy facility have become recipients of visa-on-arrival facilities, so that does not rule out the possibility that these violations will still appear and continue.

Post-pandemic, when the Indonesian Government has temporarily suspended the visa-free visit policy considering immigration violations, disturbances to public order and aspects of state security as stated in Minister of Law and Human Rights Decree Number M.HH-01.GR.01.07 of 2023, the Government also carried out related evaluations. the visa policy provides more benefits or vice versa (Yanwardhana, 2023). Even though visa-free visits have been temporarily suspended, immigration violations by foreign nationals are still widespread. Several reports in online media report cases of foreigners who are disturbing the public and endangering security, including:

1)    A total of 12 Taiwanese citizens and 28 Chinese citizens were arrested for cyber crimes involving extortion against Indonesian people (Nurdin & Khairina, 2019).

2)    There are four Nigerian citizens who live in an apartment in the North Jakarta area who are reported to often tease and disturb other apartment residents (detikNews, 2023).

3)    Eight Iranian citizens received the death penalty because they were proven to have committed transnational crimes due to the case of smuggling 319kg of crystal methamphetamine through Indian Ocean waters which was caught at Merak Harbor, Banten (Pratama, 2023).

4)    A number of foreign nationals work illegally, violate customary rules, violate traffic rules, open businesses in Indonesia without permits, and create exclusive villages for citizens of their home countries (Kompas.id, 2023).

5)    Vietnamese citizen arrested for smuggling 36 Indonesian wild animals protected by law (ppid.menlhk.go.id, 2023)

6)    The deportation of 620 foreigners was problematic because they committed various kinds of visa violations, overstayed, caused trouble, disturbed society, violated rules, disturbed public order and threatened security throughout January-March 2023 (Savitri & Ninditya, 2023).

7)    Three Yemeni citizens in South Jakarta were involved in a criminal case of human smuggling (Izan, 2024).

Of the many cases of violations committed by foreign nationals in Indonesian territory which have clearly disturbed society, disrupted order and threatened national security, of course this should be used as evaluation material for Indonesian immigration regarding whether the visa policy implemented is still effective or the opposite. The visa on arrival policy which is currently given to 97 countries which previously received visa-free visit facilities is prone to similar violations. Based on the security theory mentioned by Buzan, the state can protect its people but can also endanger its people depending on the policies it makes. Buzan also stated that individual or people's security cannot be separated from state security, which means that the two are interrelated and influence each other (Buzan, 1991).

The five threats mentioned by Buzan (1991), namely military, political, economic, social and environmental in a country, also need to be considered from an immigration perspective, namely when foreign nationals come and stay either temporarily or for a long period of time in Indonesian territory but apparently it did not bring benefits to the country. Based on several examples of violations committed by foreign nationals that occurred in Indonesia, it can be said that these five threats are fulfilled and deserve attention. Not only cases of immigration violations due to misuse of visas, but other cases that disturb the public, drugs, even transnational crime perpetrators can escape inspection by immigration officers at TPI. The function of immigration in Law No. 6 of 2011 is clearly written as state security and facilitator of community welfare development. In carrying out this function, immigration officers must adhere to the principle of selective policy when accepting foreign nationals entering Indonesian territory, namely those who bring benefits, in the sense that they do not endanger security, order and sovereignty (Santoso, 2007).

Accepting and admitting foreign nationals using a visa on arrival currently also feels very easy with conditions that are easy to fulfill. Moreover, the government program which makes immigration one of the stakeholders to help national economic recovery is considered successful with the existence of a visa on arrival which increases tourist visits to come back to Bali after the pandemic (Adani et al., 2022). The ease with which foreign nationals can enter Indonesia should also be in line with the level of immigration security readiness, both in terms of the system and the capabilities of immigration officers, especially those on duty at Immigration Checkpoints. Immigration officers must have various competencies such as global insight, strong instincts and intuition to be able to identify foreign nationals entering and leaving Indonesian territory, managerial, technical and non-technical abilities as well as sociocultural abilities to maintain the security and sovereignty of the country (Arifin & Nurkumalawati, 2020).

With so many foreign nationals passing through TPI every day, it is certainly not an easy thing if it is not supported by optimal systems and capabilities from immigration officers, because in the current digital era, immigration is required to provide good immigration services and at the same time continue to protect and maintain national security. The latest visa on arrival policy at the moment, with the large number of additional countries receiving this facility, apart from having a positive impact on the country's economy, also has a negative impact. The increasing number of cases of foreign nationals committing violations can be a benchmark for whether the visa on arrival policy is still effective in the current era. Manual inspection with a passenger screening process, namely checking identity, checking the validity of documents and checking the travel destination in accordance with the visa or immigration permit submitted with the assistance of the BCM (Border Control Management) system at TPI (Wiraputra & Siba, 2021).

The arrival of thousands of passengers at one time with various kinds of visas and residence permits applied for, especially those who come using a visa on arrival are more vulnerable to being passed by immigration officers. Apart from the fast inspection time, immigration officers tend to pass foreigners who come using a visa on arrival because on average the purpose of foreigners who come using a visa on arrival nowadays is mostly for tourist visits or business talks, and with the conditions being met then These foreigners can easily enter Indonesian territory. The problem is that foreigners who enter using a visa on arrival do not go through quite in-depth checks like visa applications in general because when they get off the plane, they can go straight to the visa on arrival purchase counter provided by the bank that collaborates with immigration, then after purchasing the visa This has just been checked by immigration, so there is the potential for a security threat arising because the foreigner has already set foot in Indonesian territory.

This is different from online visa applications which are currently being implemented by Indonesian immigration, one of which is E-VOA. Electronic Visa On Arrival (E-VOA) is regulated in Circular Letter Number IMI-0794.GR.01.01 of 2022 concerning Immigration Policy Regarding Electronic Visa On Arrival (E-VOA) Services, Visit Visa On Arrival (Visa On Arrival), and Free Visit Visa to Support Sustainable Tourism During the 2019 Covid Pandemic. The E-VOA application has the same requirements as the visa on arrival, the same purpose and function, the same stay permit period, and the only difference is the E-VOA application. VOA is carried out before foreigners land in Indonesia. The existence of E-VOA is a technological innovation to provide easy immigration services for foreigners. Supported by a capable system for selecting foreigners who will enter Indonesian territory, the provision of E-VOA is expected to prevent violations or actions that could threaten national security.

Since the implementation of E-VOA as another way to apply for a visa on arrival, foreign arrivals using E-VOA still tend to be fewer than those arriving using VOA. Based on data obtained by researchers from the Directorate General of Immigration, throughout 2023 TPI Soekarno Hatta Airport received only 250,769 foreigners using E-VOA, while the arrival of foreigners using VOA was 1,018,767 people. This is quite a large number considering that it is easier for foreigners to access and apply for a visa in advance via E-VOA so there is no need to queue at the airport to buy a visa on arrival voucher. Another convenience that can be obtained by foreigners using E-VOA is that visa extensions can be done online so there is no need to come to the Immigration Office.

 

Conclusion

Basically, visas are an important instrument used by the state to control and monitor the entry and exit of foreign citizens (Czaika et al., 2018). The emergence of the pandemic has changed the global order of life. Indonesia has not escaped changes during the pandemic to the recovery of the national economy after the current pandemic. Indonesian immigration, as the country's gatekeeper, is also taking part in restoring the national economy and adjusting existing immigration policies. The visa-free visit that was previously applied to 169 countries was temporarily stopped during the pandemic and only ASEAN countries are still provided with the visa-free facility. The visa-free visits were discontinued taking into account the number of immigration violations that occurred and threats to security aspects. In 2024, there will be a change in the addition of countries receiving visa on arrival facilities to 97 countries listed in the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number M.HH-02.GR.01.06 of 2024. The addition of visa on arrival countries has started on a regular basis. It is hoped that the gradual decline since the pandemic started to help the recovery of the national economy without sacrificing aspects of national security. In reality, immigration violations, drug trafficking and smuggling, disruption of public and community order, and transnational crime cases are still widespread after the addition of visa on arrival countries. In the current digital era, Indonesian immigration should be able to keep up with the times, and this is followed by the existence of e-visas including the E-VOA service, so that foreigners can apply for a visa on arrival before they land in Indonesian territory. This can reduce the chances of threats arising from the arrival of foreigners because of the prior screening process and preventing the entry of foreigners through pre-arrival methods into Indonesian territory. Moreover, in the current era, manual application of the visa on arrival policy feels less effective with violations still occurring, and this policy can be completely replaced with the E-VOA policy.

 

 

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Yunishella Purwanty, Eko Daryanto (2024)

 

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Syntax Literate: Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia

 

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