Indonesia’s Batam Immigration Office confirmed on 25 April that it had detained 29 Chinese nationals during a raid on the Opus Bay luxury apartment project on 21 April. According to officials, the individuals were performing construction-related tasks on visit visas that do not authorise employment. Passports belonging to 24 of the workers were seized immediately, while five people were taken in for further questioning at the immigration office. The case highlights growing scrutiny of foreign labour compliance in Indonesia’s free-trade zones, where Chinese contractors are heavily involved in infrastructure and real-estate developments. Batam—the closest Indonesian island to Singapore—has attracted more than US$1 billion of Chinese investment in the past three years, but local unions have repeatedly complained about undocumented labour. Under Indonesia’s 2011 Immigration Law, working without the proper permit is punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of IDR 500 million (≈US$31,000). Employers can also be black-listed from sponsoring future foreign workers. The immigration office said the Opus Bay developer may face sanctions if it is proven to have facilitated the misuse of visit visas. For Chinese companies seconding staff to Southeast Asia, the incident is a reminder that Indonesia now cross-checks visa types against onsite job descriptions during “flash inspections.” Mobility managers are advised to use the KITAS work-permit channel for any hands-on roles and to carry translated employment contracts at project sites. Regional impact: Similar sweeps have occurred in Sulawesi nickel smelters and Jakarta data-centre builds this year, suggesting that Indonesian authorities are standardising enforcement across provinces. Firms operating in the archipelago should revisit their shadow-payroll and immigration SOPs ahead of peak construction season.
Source: The Jakarta Post
