If Americans are so concerned about illegal immigration, they should take a lesson from the Indonesian government. Any time we go anywhere within Indonesia, we have to report to the local organization (which we would probably equate to a neighborhood watch) so that the police know we're there. If we don't, we could be fined 5 million rupiah or put in jail for a year. I saw the Bridget Jones movie - ain't no way I'm going to jail! I'm reporting!
We also have to keep our passport, our visas, our KITAS (which allow us to travel around the country), our work permits, and our Indonesian-issued ID cards with us at all times. This isn't as much as it sounds because the first three things in that list are all a part of the passport, but if you lose the passport . . . well, you just don't! Actually, you're allowed to lose your KITAS twice, and then they deport you. And the immigration officers will do random sweeps, which is a targeted identity and document check at a select location like a hotel, a store, etc. If you don't have yours with you, you go to jail. If we don't have ours with us, we call Nellie. She moves mountains. It's awesome.
The immigration office has taken up my passport with my hard-earned visa in it in order to give me my KITAS. That's right, I am officially passport-less. I have a photocopy, but that isn't like the real thing. I'll get mine back hopefully by Wednesday, but I already had my visa checked while I was out the other day. Photocopies make me nervous, but thankfully the policeman accepted it as legitimate.
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