IMPACT Launched, Immigration Transforms from Defensive to a Smart Gateway of Sovereignty
DENPASAR – The increasingly complex immigration challenges—ranging from issues related to digital nomads to the influx of foreign nationals (FNs) into Bali due to global geopolitical tensions—demand data-driven policies and in-depth research. To address these needs, the Directorate General of Immigration has partnered with the academic community through the signing of a cooperation agreement (PKS) with Udayana University (Unud).
The PKS was signed by the Acting Director General of Immigration, Yuldi Yusman, represented by the Director of Visa and Travel Documents, Eko Budianto, together with the Rector of Udayana University, I Ketut Sudarsana. The collaboration focuses on strengthening the Tri Dharma of Higher Education and enhancing human resource development.
The signing ceremony, held at the Theatre Lecture Building, 3rd Floor, Udayana University, Jimbaran, Bali, on Tuesday (2 December 2025), was attended by the Head of the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration Bali, Parlindungan; the Assistant III of the Bali Provincial Secretary for Economic Affairs and Development; members of the Bali Provincial Forkopimda; the Head of the Regional Office of Corrections Bali; the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Bali; and other provincial officials. On the same occasion, cooperation agreements were also signed with the Governments of Tabanan Regency and Klungkung Regency.
The core of this five-year cooperation is the establishment of the Indonesian Immigration Policy and Analysis Center (IMPACT) within the Faculty of Law at Unud. This policy center is expected to become a collaborative research platform that bridges practical immigration needs with strong academic and legal frameworks.
According to the Acting Director General, selective immigration policy can no longer rely on intuition alone; it must be developed through evidence-based approaches. “As a leading higher education institution in Bali, Udayana University is expected to provide academic perspectives, alternative solutions, and in-depth analyses of emerging dynamics,” said Yuldi Yusman.
Through this policy center, sensitive issues—such as visa misuse for employment, nominee schemes in property investment, and the handling of foreign nationals from conflict zones—will be analyzed comprehensively from legal and economic perspectives.
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Academic and Practical Integration
The Rector of Unud, I Ketut Sudarsana, welcomed the collaboration, emphasizing that its scope goes beyond research and includes the integration of immigration issues into the curriculum and community engagement.
“As a follow-up to this PKS, the Faculty of Law, particularly the Master of Law Program, will establish a mandatory course on Immigration Law,” he explained.
The agreement also includes the provision of practitioner lecturers from the Directorate General of Immigration to teach and supervise academic works (theses and dissertations); joint research on legal and immigration aspects; capacity-building for Immigration personnel through special scholarship programs for Master's and Doctoral degrees; and community outreach programs, including the Kampus Berdampak initiative, which involves students in anti-nominee education and intellectual cyber patrols.
The Acting Director General expressed hope that this synergy will ensure that immigration policies in Bali focus not only on security but also on supporting sustainable development and protecting local economic and cultural sovereignty.
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Bali’s Immigration Policies Face Complex Challenges
In a public lecture titled “Immigration Strategies for Mapping Bali’s Future”, Yuldi Yusman explained that selective immigration policy in Bali faces a dilemma: balancing the need to support tourism-driven economic growth with the obligation to protect legal, cultural, and national sovereignty.
As of September 2025, Bali recorded 5,297,869 foreign arrivals and is projected to reach 7 million by year’s end. While this increase boosts the local economy, it has also created issues such as visa misuse, overstay, legal violations, and breaches of local customs.
“The ease of access designed to support tourism is often misused, creating legal, economic, and social vulnerabilities,” Yuldi stressed.
He highlighted two groups of foreign nationals currently under close monitoring:
1. Digital Nomads, many of whom enter on tourist visas but conduct professional activities—such as yoga instruction or informal tour guiding—competing unfairly with local workers. This practice amounts to predatory business, reducing local MSMEs’ income.
2. Geopolitical Exodus Migrants, especially from conflict-affected countries such as Russia and Ukraine. Although many enter legally, the sharp rise requires enhanced risk analysis related to asylum seekers and potential political considerations.
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Threats to Economic and Cultural Sovereignty
Three major violation trends have become prominent:
Visa misuse for employment, where FNs enter on VoA/B211 visas but work without an IMTA (Work Permit).
Chronic overstays, with fines of IDR 1,000,000 per day seen as insignificant by high-income foreigners.
Violations of social and cultural norms, including disrespectful behavior at sacred sites and acts of public indecency.
In addition, illegal foreign investments through nominee schemes have become a serious challenge, threatening Bali’s local economic sovereignty.
Strategic Collaboration with Universities
To address these challenges, Immigration has adopted the Smart Immigration strategy, enhancing digital services (E-Visa and e-VoA), strengthening intelligence-driven vetting, and expanding the use of Autogates and biometric systems integrated with population and criminal databases.
However, Yuldi emphasized that technology and law enforcement alone are not enough; deeper collaboration with universities is essential.
“Udayana University has the capacity to serve as a strategic partner. Universities are not merely critics but centers for evidence-based policy research,” he noted.
Students, he added, can assist Immigration through cyber patrol efforts, monitoring digital nomad forums and property rental platforms to identify illegal business activities conducted by foreign nationals.
“By positioning universities and students as strategic partners, Immigration in Bali can transform from a defensive guardian of sovereignty into an intelligent, proactive, and knowledge-driven gateway of sovereignty,” concluded Yuldi Yusman. (*)
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