Indonesia immigration deputy minister Silmy Karim charged in multi‑billion rupiah visa corruption case

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) head Wana Alamsyah said recent investigations reveal systemic extortion in the immigration department, citing the case of deputy minister and director‑general Silmy Karim. The KPK has named eight officials, including Karim, as suspects for demanding illegal payments in the processing of residence permits for foreign nationals. Financial analysis by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) identified suspicious flows through 96 bank accounts belonging to 35 immigration employees, amounting to roughly Rp 366.7 billion (hundreds of billions of rupiah). ICW urged the KPK to apply anti‑money‑laundering provisions, summon all involved parties since 2019, and use officials’ wealth statements to trace illicit gains. The investigation links the scheme to both permanent and temporary stay cards (KITAP/KITAS) and suggests similar abuses may exist in other licensing areas.

The case underscores ongoing challenges in Indonesia’s public service integrity and has prompted calls for broader audits of the immigration ministry’s permitting processes.