Jakarta, Eyewitness – Immigration is collaborating with the Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology (FTMD ITB) to initiate a “Digital Fence” for immigration surveillance at the border. This was explained by the Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, after a discussion meeting with ITB representatives on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) at the Directorate General of Immigration Building.
“It started with my concern and curiosity when I attended the Defense Exhibition in Singapore several months ago. There, I saw various advanced technologies for border security and other purposes. But it turned out none were made by Indonesians. Yet, our domestic human resources are highly competitive enough to produce products of comparable quality,” said Hendarsam.
“That’s where I came up with the idea of ??collaborating with Indonesia’s best technology universities to initiate the “Digital Fence,” a border security system using drones. We have 3,111 km of vast land borders that are prone to illegal crossings,” he continued.
Hendarsam further added, “Of that (3,111 km), there are only 18 PLBN (State Border Crossing Posts) and 38 Crossing Posts (PLB) in Kalimantan, Papua, and East Nusa Tenggara. Three of those PLBNs are inactive, and only seven Crossing Posts actually have crossings. The rest are still inactive or are hampered by the Crossing Border Agreement.”
Based on crossing data at Land Immigration Checkpoints (TPI) from January to April 2026, the volume of official crossings reached 679,867 people. However, the real challenge is monitoring illegal crossings along the border. This situation is exacerbated by limited digital infrastructure, personnel security risks in conflict areas, and high vulnerability to cross-border crimes such as human trafficking (TPPO), human smuggling, and commodity smuggling.
“We are prioritizing this digital fence on land in Kalimantan, which borders Malaysia, Papua, which borders Papua New Guinea, and East Nusa Tenggara, which borders Timor Leste. Meanwhile, for maritime areas, the focus is on the Riau Islands, Batam, and surrounding crossing routes,” explained Hendarsam.
To this end, the Immigration Office plans to optimize drone technology developed by Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) since 2019 and produced in collaboration with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI). This drone is designed to operate 24/7 at the border using power from solar panels.
This aerial surveillance system will combine two types of drones working in concert: a HALE (High-Altitude Long-Endurance) drone that can fly consistently at an altitude of 1,000 meters for 24 hours to conduct long-range perimeter monitoring; and a Mantis drone, which can conduct tactical approaches and short-range visual interception once the HALE drone detects suspicious movement. This technology has previously been implemented in the agricultural sector with satisfactory results.
“The digital fence can’t physically stop people, but it provides real-time situational awareness. When the drone detects movement in the border blind spot, the system immediately sends coordinates to the nearest immigration post or border guard. This can drastically reduce the response time of conventional patrols,” added Hendarsam, emphasizing this as a key advantage of this collaborative system.
“Drones also expand the reach of our officers. Given the vast surveillance area, the presence of fast and flexible aerial surveillance provides accurate initial data before the team moves to take action. This is far more cost-effective than operating manned aerial assets,” explained Hendarsam.
As a long-term plan, the Digital Fence program is projected to become the main foundation for building cybersecurity within the national immigration environment.
“The collaboration between Immigration, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), and PT DI is our effort to ensure that the oversight of national sovereignty does not rely on foreign systems. By securing unofficial channels through cyber technology and domestic air patrols, we can minimize loopholes for human trafficking perpetrators and illegal migrants, while simultaneously realizing sustainable national technological independence,” he concluded.
