No Flights Out: Russian tourist stuck around Bali airport detained
Authorities in Bali have detained a Russian tourist on alleged disruption of public order after the foreigner reportedly took shelter around the premises of Ngurah Rai International Airport while he was stranded on the island for the past month.
“The person violated a local regulation, so now immigration will take him. Afterwards he will be deported, back to his home country,” I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara, who heads the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) in Badung regency, said.
According to reports, the Russian tourist has been sleeping near an empty lot right next to the airport for some time, prompting Satpol PP to detain him yesterday. Suryanegara said he is unable to return to Russia due to ongoing travel restrictions and the lack of available flights.
“He’s been [living like a] hobo, maybe he has money, but [he’s reluctant to] rent a place because there’s no flight to Russia. Hopefully after this the Russian Consulate will help,” Suryanegara said.
With global travel grounded to a halt amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many foreign tourists found themselves stranded far away from home, faced with limited flights or arduous journeys to return to their home countries. At the onset of the global coronavirus outbreak, thousands got on chartered flights arranged by their respective embassies, while others voluntarily opted to stay in Bali.
In response to global travel restrictions, the Indonesian government adopted emergency measures in late March and granted automatic extensions of stay permits for eligible foreigners who are unable to return to their home countries. However, that measure has since been updated with a “new normal” immigration policy that came into force just yesterday, which outlines new requirements for foreign nationals in Indonesia.
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