Lawmakers in Bali are sounding the alarm over a growing trend of sham marriages between foreign nationals and locals – a tactic increasingly used to circumvent Indonesia’s restrictions on land ownership and immigration.
The issue was raised again during the 12th plenary session of Bali’s regional legislature last week, when I Gusti Ayu Mas Sumatri, speaking on behalf of the Democrat-Nasdem faction, highlighted viral social media posts alleging that foreigners were exploiting legal loopholes to acquire land and property.
“Some foreign tourists commit fraudulent practices by doing contract marriages with local people for the purpose of being able to buy or control property in Bali,” Sumatri said as quoted by local news outlet Tribun Bali.
Sumatri said the properties in question often included land, hotels and villas located in tourist hotspots, particularly in Badung Regency.
“Please coordinate with the relevant agencies, governor, to strengthen oversight of foreigners in Bali – especially by immigration and the police,” she added.
Her remarks come amid growing concern that sacred cultural institutions such as marriage are being hollowed out for material gain. “What should be sacred is now being exploited,” Tribun Bali wrote in an editorial about the issue, noting that many Balinese were aware of the practice but felt powerless to intervene.
