20 Rohingya Immigrants Taken to Detention Immigration Center in Indonesia

Source tempo, 24 May

TEMPO.CO, Jember- Twenty Rohingya Myanmar immigrants were relocated to a Detention Immigration Center (Rudenim) in Bangil-Pasuruan on Friday.

Rohingya refugee. ANTARA/Irsan Mulyadi

Head of Jember Immigration Office Mujiantoro said that the relocation was made after Jember Immigration Office and the International Organization for Migration were assured that a room was available in Rudenim Bangil. "The capacity was for 20 people. We prioritized those who are not married," he said. The 20 immigrants were men not bringing their families along. They were picked up from Hotel Sulawesi with a bus owned by Jember Resort Police. Five fully-armed police and 4 staff from the Jember Immigration Office were on guard.

Among the immigrants were three people who were once arrested by the police as they were going to escape from the hotel on Thursday. The three were Manir, Seakut Ali, and MD Fazlu. "The remaining 45 people are still waiting for the Director General of Immigration's decision. We will possibly take them to Rudenim Pekanbaru and Balikpapan."

Head Chief of Supervision and Immigration Execution at Jember Immigration Office, Haryo Sakti, reported the search team has yet to find another three escaped immigrants to date. "There has been no result. We are still looking for them," he said briefly.

The three fugitives were Mamun, Kamrul, and Ashadur. They tore down the window glass to escape. None of the guard realized as the glass was covered by flowers and dense palm trees. After getting out of the room, the three jumped over the wall located on the west of the hotel.

As many as 68 illegal immigrants from Rohingnya are accommodated temporarily in a hotel in Jember, as the closest Immigrant Detention House in Bangil Pasuruan was full. The immigrants were arrested by the police of Banyuwangi last weekend whilst they were waiting for departure towards Australia for political asylum. MAHBUB DJUNAIDY