PIKIRAN RAKYAT - Russian Ambassador to Indonesia, Lyudmila Vorobieva, hopes that the Indonesian government will not revoke the visa-on-arrival (VoA) regulation for Russian citizens. The idea of revocation surfaced after Balinese authorities complained about the behavior of foreign tourists, including Russian tourists, who violate the law.
Vorobieva acknowledges that the VoA regulation is a convenience for tourists, and she does not want it revoked for Russian citizens. "Certainly, this will have an impact on the flow of tourists from Russia," Vorobieva said at the IRTTIF press conference and mini expo in Jakarta on Friday, March 17, 2023.
Vorobieva explained that the Visa on Arrival (VoA) policy makes it easier for Russian tourists to come to Indonesia, thus boosting the tourism industry. "Visa on arrival makes it easier to attract tourists," Vorobieva explained.
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Furthermore, the Russian Embassy in Indonesia urges Russian citizens to always abide by the rules when arriving in other countries. She explained that cases of law violation involving Russian citizens do not reflect the behavior of all Russian tourists. Those who have been arrested by the Indonesian police for violating the regulations are only a small portion of all Russian tourists in Indonesia.
"Of course, like in other countries, there may be some people who like to break the law, but I don't think that's our focus," Vorobeiva said.
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The Ngurah Rai Airport's Class I Special Immigration Office is currently investigating the increase in Russian tourist arrivals to Bali since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. Immigration officials suspect that some Russian tourists visiting Bali may be attempting to avoid their compulsory military conscription back in their home country.
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Sandro Bobby Raymon Limbong, Head of the Technology, Information, and Communication Division at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, stated that "It is highly likely that this is the case, as it is an international phenomenon. It is a trend in Russia and Ukraine that many citizens are trying to avoid military service."