Indonesia’s US$8 million visa scandal threatens drive for talent, investors

A major Immigration Corruption scandal could mar Indonesia’s ambition to entice foreign funds and high-skilled workers, according to observers, further tanking investor confidence in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.The country’s Corruption-eradication-commission" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="144959" data-entity-type="organization">Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) last week arrested eight high-ranking Immigration officials, including then deputy minister Silmy Karim, for allegedly extorting foreigners seeking residency and work permits in Indonesia. KPK also detained nine Visa agents acting as intermediaries between applicants and Immigration officials.The suspects are accused of running a “systemic” extortion scheme from 2022 to 2026, where they collected “extra fees” totalling 145.5 billion rupiah (US$8 million) from foreigners at Immigration counters.