Southeast Asia's largest economy imposes harsher penalties against tourists violating immigration laws

Under Bali's recently announced immigration laws, offenses previously punishable by six months to one year in prison could now carry sentences of up to 20 years.

For serious offenses with penalties exceeding five years in prison, foreigners may face lifetime detainment, immigration Director General Silmy Karim said as cited by The Bali Sun.

Additional immigration checkpoints will be established across the island, and patrol vehicles will be deployed to enforce law and order, the South China Morning Post reported.

"We want to ensure that Indonesia remains a welcoming destination for tourists and foreign investors who comply with the rules," Karim said.

The new regulations will not affect those who apply for temporary visas on arrival and leave within the designated 30-day period, or those who lawfully extend their visas and depart within 60 days.

In the first eight months of the year, 157 foreigners were deported from Bali, with 194 individuals currently in immigration detention awaiting deportation, according to Bali's Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

The island saw 3.89 million tourists in the first seven months of this year, up from 2.9 million during the same period last year.

While foreign arrivals have surged since Bali reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic, viral videos of unruly tourists have sparked public outrage and prompted backlash on social media across Indonesia, Reuters reported.

Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, eyes 17 million foreign tourists this year.