Bali’s Immigration Struggles to Combat Foreign Prostitution

Prostitution cases involving foreign nationals as perpetrators are rampant in Bali, posing a significant challenge for the Immigration Office.

According to Samuel Toba, Head of the Immigration Division of the Bali Regional Office, one factor behind the rise in prostitution cases is the questionable intentions of some foreigners visiting Bali. Toba acknowledged that it is difficult for Immigration officers to ascertain the true reasons behind foreign tourists’ visits unless specific information about criminal records is provided by the authorities in the tourists’ countries of origin.

“They intended to come here [to Bali] for vacation. It turns out, once they got here, they saw an opportunity [to get involved in prostitution],” said Toba to the press on Wednesday, the 4th of December.

Toba explained that, typically, after being caught and questioned, the foreigners would admit that their supposed vacation in Bali was merely a facade. He noted that these individuals often used entertainment or massage venues as a cover for prostitution.

“Because our officers couldn’t profile these foreigners who wanted to be prostitutes. It would, then, be [discovered] after investigations. Their reason was vacation, then suddenly, they were selling themselves,” continued Toba.

To address this issue, Toba suggested that one way to combat foreigners violating residence permits through prostitution is by tightening supervision. A foreigner monitoring team has been deployed to patrol both physical locations and the internet.

“All stakeholders, agencies, and the community [in Bali] should also be involved in supervising [the foreigners]. They could do that by providing information to [Immigration] officers,” he concluded.

The most recent prostitution case involving foreigners in Bali occurred very recently. Two Russian women, both in their early 20s, were arrested by Immigration officers for their involvement in a prostitution case. When apprehended, the officers also seized evidence, including baby oil, sex toys, and cash in US and Australian dollars.

Head of the Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre, Gede Dudy Duwita, explained that the two women were operating a prostitution business disguised as a ‘plus-plus‘ massage therapy service.

“Officers found other evidence in the form of photos used in their offers as therapists,” said Duwita to the press on Tuesday, the 3rd of December.

Also Read Too Much Ado About Prostitution