The Denpasar Immigration Office, Bali, deports a Ukrainian boy and his mom. The little boy had previously wandered the streets and was nicknamed Kocong by netizens.
If you’ve ever lived in Bali or diligently monitored Bali’s social media, you may have seen a foreign boy who likes to walk around Ubud wearing only shorts and no top. He is Kocong.
“The person concerned (Kocong and his mom) has a residence permit valid until January 21, 2024,” Denpasar Immigration Chief Ridha Sah Putra said in Denpasar on Thursday, as reported by Antara.
Thus, the boy with the real initials BS violated his residence permit with his mother, whose initials are SB, for more than 191 days.
In a video that circulated virally and was uploaded by the Instagram account @chrisgiacobbecomedy , Kocong was seen doing his daily activity in Ubud, Bali.
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The mother claimed to love Indonesia and chose to live in Bali. She also admitted that she had no problem with the Indonesian government’s deportation sanctions.
The mother and son left Indonesia through Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport on Thursday, August 8, 2024. They departed from the Denpasar Immigration Office around 7:30 am.
Kocong and his mom overstay in Bali for more than 191 days
Denpasar Immigration Chief Ridha Sah Putra explained that BS and his mother entered Indonesia on December 21, 2023, through Soekarno Hatta International Airport. They have a residence permit valid until January 21, 2024.
Ridha said Immigration coordinated with the Ukrainian Honorary Consul to handle their return. Finally, the repatriation was carried out using Qatar Airways.
Due to this case, the Bali Tourism Office will continue socializing ‘do and don’t’ with foreign consulates in Jakarta and Bali.
As reported by Detik, the Head of the Bali Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, also said that he had formed a task force to prevent overstaying tourists like Kocong and his mother.
Regarding the long overstay, Tjok Bagus said this was not a matter of missing, but Bali is a complex destination. Dealing with tourist problems requires humane steps and coordination of many parties.
“It’s not a problem, no. We continue to coordinate because Bali, as a world destination, is very complex, and the problem is unlike other regions in Indonesia. And we always handle it humanely and coordinate it with Immigration,” he said.
Living in Bali and getting help from local people
In the past week, Kocong has attracted public attention and has gone viral on social media. He is often seen on the side of the road in the Ubud area.
His behaviour is not disturbing but sometimes dangerous for himself. However, the boy often plays on the highway, climbs coconut trees to hold a shovel and takes sand with workers in the Ubud area.
Kocong often wandered around without his parents’ supervision. He even carried sharp weapons and climbed up to the roof of a resident’s house, which could endanger himself and the surrounding residents.
Ridha said the boy lived with his parents in a homestay on Jalan Raya Sukma, Peliatan Village, Ubud District. While living in Bali, the mother paid for their lives. The father of the child is currently in Norway,” Ridha said.
The mother admitted that she had tried to collect money, but it was not enough to pay for their return to her country.
Some residents feel sorry for the boy and his mom, and then they lend a place to stay to the mother and child in their neighbourhood in Ubud.
