Investment and Invasion

There was quite a commotion last month, after Karawang Immigration officers conducted an unexpected check of foreign workers at the Karawang Prima Steel Sejahtera and Astra Honda Motor, two companies in the Indotaisei industrial complex at Cikampek, West Java. A few of the workers tried to run away, while in another building, the lights were suddenly turned off. "Maybe there were foreign workers trying to hide," said J. Fanny Satria, Chief of Karawang Immigration Office.

The raid netted 38 foreign workers. In total, 26 of them were Chinese, seven Japanese, three Taiwanese and one each from France and Sweden. But in a couple of hours, 30 of them were released, with the three Taiwanese and two Japanese deported. "They were unable to show their immigration documents, and they violated rules by extending their stay permits illegally," said Asriyani P, Enforcement Section Chief at the Karawang Immigration Office.