Vasyl Hamianin, the ambassador of Ukraine to Indonesia, expressed his disappointment with Bali’s plan to terminate the visa-on-arrival service for Ukrainian tourists travelling to the well-known getaway island of Bali following a string of visa violations involving Ukrainian and Russian tourists. “The proposal has left me feeling very let down. It was a very hostile choice, particularly given that Russia’s continuing military assault against Ukraine has resulted in a large number of migrants and momentarily displaced people, “He stated during a press conference on Tuesday.
On Sunday, the governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, suggested to the central government that the visa-on-arrival policy for visitors from Russia and Ukraine be discontinued in response to rising complaints that these tourists are abusing their tourist visas to find work on the island.
The report claimed that ever since the war between Russia & Ukraine broke out in 2014, tons of Ukrainians flew out of their country to ensure their safety, and Bali has been high on their list ever since then. Many have made the Island of Gods their home after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Indonesia’s top tourism location has become a temporary haven for residents and companies looking to escape the war, which has no sign of ending. According to official statistics, more than 7,000 Ukrainians arrived in Bali last year, but more than 2,500 came in the previous month alone. More than 58,000 Russians arrived on the island last year as well. Russia had the second-highest international visitors, with more than 22,500 arrivals in January.
Some even choose to make Bali their permanent home while building a solid Ukrainian community & move their business to Bali with a suitable working visa or investment visa, which allows them to own a business or generate income legally. So the move to revoke Ukraine’s VOA was deemed pretty harsh by the Ukrainian government.
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