Two Villages in Bali Under Special Surveillance Due to Large Foreign Resident Population

Two villages in Tabanan, Bali, have been designated as 'Immigration Development Villages' and placed under special surveillance due to a significant increase in foreign residents. The Immigration Office Class III Non-TPI Tabanan made this decision for Nyambu Village and Kaba-Kaba Village in Kediri District, citing potential immigration risks associated with the high number of foreigners living and active in these areas. "The consideration is based on the potential for vulnerability, where there are many foreign citizens in these two villages," stated Head of the Immigration Office Class III Non-TPI Tabanan, Andhika Rahadiansyah, during a media gathering on Monday (14/9/2026), as quoted by detikBali. The 'Immigration Development Village' program is a strategy to accelerate information flow regarding foreign nationals and strengthen coordination between the Immigration Office, village governments, and the community. Immigration officers will regularly visit the designated villages, coordinating with village officials and providing understanding of immigration regulations. Furthermore, the program creates a channel for the community to report any knowledge of foreign nationals' whereabouts or activities that require attention. Information from the village level will be promptly verified by Immigration and, if necessary, followed up with the Foreigner Supervision Team (Timpora). Andhika explained that having immigration officers at the village level is crucial for shortening information channels, enabling quicker verification and joint follow-up with Timpora. This initiative aims to prevent various potential violations, including visa overstays and criminal acts involving foreigners, such as human trafficking. However, the development of 'Immigration Development Villages' cannot be implemented simultaneously across all villages within Tabanan Immigration's jurisdiction due to human resource limitations. The expansion will be gradual, with the target of having at least one immigration officer assigned to each village in the future. "Our target is as many as possible, at least one immigration officer in each village. It's still in process, hopefully, it can increase next year because the current human resources are still minimal, and it's feared to be ineffective if forced," said Adhika. Adhika hopes that issues concerning foreign nationals can be detected earlier by making villages the frontline of supervision. He views Nyambu and Kaba-Kaba villages as pilot projects for expanding surveillance to other villages with similar potential vulnerabilities.