Bali is one of the leading tourism spots for international travellers, especially those from Australia and Southeast Asia, other Asian nations as well as Russia, Europe and USA. With the growth of tourism on the island, upholding peace and order in the high traffic areas have become crucial.
One of the steps taken by the government as part of the ongoing initiative to improve visitor services, is to deploy the Immigration Patrol Task Force to enhance security and stability. The move comes amid a rise in immigration offences and criminal acts involving tourists.
Increasing number of tourists being deported for various offences
Last year, 13.74 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia, with 6.3 million of them coming to Bali, higher than the island’s population of 4.3 million.
Tourism revenue was recorded at US$16.7 billion, contributing 4 per cent to the country’s GDP. This year, the tourism ministry has set a target of up to 16 million foreign visitors, of which up to 6.5 million are expected to visit Bali.
607 foreigners were deported and another 303 detained for the period from November to December 2024, nationwide in Indonesia. This number increased alarmingly from January to July 2025, with 2,669 deportations and 2,009 detentions nationwide, with a sharp rise in the number of cases recorded in Bali.
Immigration task force to carry out patrols and wear safety vests equipped with bodycams
The new Immigration Task Force will be deployed in top tourism destinations across Bali to crack down on unruly tourists visiting the island.
Officers will travel on motorcycles and in patrol vehicles, wearing safety vests equipped with body cameras to ensure accountability. The officers will be available to provide a rapid response to any foreigner reported to be breaking the law, disturbing public order, or disrespecting local culture. The Immigration Patrol team has been given official immigration department vehicles, including motorcycles, to conduct their patrols.
The unit, made up of 100 immigration officers, will patrol ten popular tourist areas in Bali namely the surfers’ paradise areas of Canggu and Seminyak, the spiritual hub Ubud, the seafood town of Jimbaran and other high traffic tourism hotspots such as Kuta which is popular with Australians.
Patrol Officers will patrol predetermined routes and is carried out periodically and randomly to avoid predictable patterns.
Other steps that are being taken
The Bali governor is also cracking down on these badly-behaved tourists, vowing to take immediate and firm action against ‘naughty’ tourists who do not respect the country’s customs by issuing new guidelines or Do’s and Don’ts for tourists in April 2025.
Tourists and travellers arriving and departing from Bali’s International Airport will see more officers out on patrol and more officers are to be deployed around-the-clock patrols to help prioritise public safety and comfort.
Dozens of police officers in Bali are also to be given English language training to help them better serve in tourism hotspots.
