Indonesia has suspended the issuance of visas for Indian citizens intending to visit or stay in the country.
Indonesia has officially ceased issuing visas for foreign nationals who have recently resided in or visited India within the last two weeks, beginning on Sunday, April 25th, 2021. This decision was communicated by the Chairman of the Committee for Combating COVID-19 and Recovery of the National Economy, Airlanga Hartarto, during a virtual press briefing on Friday, April 23rd.
Several countries, including but not limited to Hong Kong, New Zealand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Canada, have likewise imposed travel restrictions on India due to the current COVID-19 situation.
According to Airlanga, this decision will be accompanied by a circular from the Director-General of Immigration at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and other relevant authorities. The measure is temporary and subject to review.
India's COVID-19 numbers continue to rise, with a new high of 314,835 cases reported in a single day on April 22nd.This has raised concerns among Indian healthcare authorities regarding the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Several hospitals in the northern and western parts of India, including in New Delhi, have issued warnings that oxygen supplies are becoming scarce. Hospitals have reported that they only have a limited amount of medical oxygen remaining, which is essential for keeping COVID-19 patients alive.
On Friday last week, the immigration services at Sukarno-Hatta refused entry to 32 passengers who had arrived in Indonesia on an Emirates flight (flight number EK356). The plane departed from Dubai (UAE) and arrived in Indonesia at 3:00 pm.
According to Sam Fernando, the head of Information Technology and Immigration Communications at the airport, 32 passengers were sent back to Dubai on Emirates Airlines (flight EK359) at 4:00 am the following day.Sukarno-Hatta's immigration measures are consistent with the policy issued by the General Directorate of Immigration on April 23, 2021. This policy implies a denial of entry for foreigners who have been in India within 14 days prior to entering Indonesia, as stated by Sam Fernando.