Strengthening Indonesia’s Immigration Policy Amid Global Dynamics
DENPASAR – The Directorate General of Immigration has formalized a cooperation agreement with Udayana University (Unud) to establish the Indonesian Immigration Policy and Analysis Center (IMPACT)—the nation’s first dedicated research and policy hub for immigration studies. The agreement was signed on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) at Udayana University, Jimbaran Campus.
Located within the Faculty of Law, IMPACT will support the development of evidence-based selective immigration policies, particularly in addressing key issues such as visa misuse for employment, nominee property schemes, overstays, digital nomads working illegally, and the geopolitical-driven influx of foreign nationals from conflict regions.
Acting Director General of Immigration Yuldi Yusman emphasized the importance of academic collaboration.
“Immigration policy can no longer rely on instinct. It must be driven by research and data,” he stated.
The partnership includes the introduction of a mandatory Immigration Law course, involvement of Immigration practitioners as lecturers and thesis examiners, joint legal and policy research, scholarship programs for Immigration officers pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as community outreach activities such as cyber patrol initiatives and public education on foreign national violations.
Yuldi noted that Bali has become the focal point of Indonesia’s immigration challenges, with over 5.2 million foreign arrivals recorded by September 2025 and a rising number of cases involving illegal work, business violations, and cultural misconduct.
Through IMPACT, Immigration and Udayana University aim to strengthen an adaptive, knowledge-driven, and sovereignty-oriented immigration governance framework for Bali and Indonesia.***
