Operation results
The week-long Dharma Dewata operation covered the Ngurah Rai, Denpasar, Singaraja, Tabanan and Klungkung immigration areas. Officers detained 66 foreigners from 27 countries.
Twenty-four are suspected of misusing stay permits and 20 overstayed. Another 22 were held over public order issues. All face administrative action that may include deportation.
All those detained are under investigation before sanctions are decided. Deportation is an administrative measure and does not require a court.
Lodging checks and APOA
Officers met business owners and accommodation managers. They explained the duty to report resident foreigners through APOA, the foreigner reporting app. The obligation comes from Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration.
Bali immigration head Felucia Sengky Ratna said digital surveillance detects violations faster and more accurately. Travel documents were checked against integrated databases.
Unlicensed accommodation
In 2025 the Ngurah Rai office agreed with Badung officials to jointly monitor foreigners staying in unlicensed lodging. Authorities at the time linked falling hotel occupancy to illegal villas.
Raja Ulul Azmi Syahwali, head of intelligence and enforcement at the Ngurah Rai office, said at the time that agencies had set up a shared coordination group. It is used to exchange information on violators.
Scale of enforcement
Back in the first quarter of 2025, the Ngurah Rai office took 402 administrative actions against foreigners. These included 135 deportations and 121 detentions, mostly for overstays.
The Ngurah Rai, Denpasar and Singaraja offices each run WhatsApp lines for reporting violations. Immigration encourages residents to use them.