Implementing Population Administration Policy in Border Regions: Evidence from the Indonesia–Malaysia Border

Imelda Hutasoit; Wiwik Roso Sri Rejeki; Arifin Sulaeman Hutasoit; Amreylia Irnadianis Hana Saputri

doi:10.31000/jgcs.v10i2.16771

Authors

Imelda Hutasoit Institute of Home Affairs Governance
Wiwik Roso Sri Rejeki Institute of Home Affairs Governance
Arifin Sulaeman Hutasoit Institute of Home Affairs Governance
Amreylia Irnadianis Hana Saputri Institute of Home Affairs Governance

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31000/jgcs.v10i2.16771

Keywords:

Population Administration, Administrative Enforcement, Border Governance, Collaborative Governance, Entikong State Border Crossing Post

Abstract

This study analyzes the implementation of population administration policy at the Entikong State Border Crossing Post (PLBN) and its implications for Indonesia–Malaysia border migration governance. The study addresses the gap between regulatory mandates and administrative practices shaped by high mobility, fragmented information, and dispersed institutional authority. In 2025, PLBN Entikong recorded 540,327 movements, and 5,238 problematic Indonesian citizens were repatriated. A qualitative case-study approach was employed, using regulatory documents and interview transcripts, which were analyzed thematically with NVivo. The analytical framework integrates Mazmanian and Sabatier’s policy implementation theory with Collaborative Governance, organized into four categories: Regulatory Mandates, Technical Capacity, Actor Dynamics, and Policy Outcomes. The findings show that clear authority, administrative capacity, operational procedures, data integration, coordination, commitment, and facilitative leadership shape implementation. Information & Data Integration represents a critical intersection between technical capacity and institutional collaboration, supporting registration, identity verification, document examination, and mobility control. The study demonstrates that administrative enforcement serves as a meso-level mechanism that connects regulatory mandates and technical capacity to administrative action, while strengthening the relationship between population governance and border governance.

Penelitian ini menganalisis implementasi kebijakan administrasi kependudukan di Pos Lintas Batas Negara (PLBN) Entikong serta implikasinya terhadap tata kelola migrasi perbatasan Indonesia–Malaysia. Penelitian ini berangkat dari kesenjangan antara mandat regulatif dan praktik administratif yang dipengaruhi oleh mobilitas tinggi, fragmentasi informasi, serta kewenangan antarlembaga. Pada 2025, PLBN Entikong mencatat 540.327 pergerakan orang dan 5.238 WNI bermasalah yang dipulangkan. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan desain studi kasus, melalui analisis dokumen regulasi dan transkrip wawancara yang dianalisis secara tematik menggunakan NVivo. Kerangka analisis mengintegrasikan teori implementasi Mazmanian dan Sabatier dengan Collaborative Governance melalui 4 kategori, yaitu Regulatory Mandates, Technical Capacity, Actor Dynamics, dan Policy Outcomes. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa implementasi dipengaruhi oleh kejelasan kewenangan, kapasitas administratif, prosedur operasional, integrasi data, koordinasi, komitmen, serta kepemimpinan yang fasilitatif. Information & Data Integration menjadi titik temu antara kapasitas teknis dan kolaborasi kelembagaan dalam mendukung registrasi, verifikasi identitas, pemeriksaan dokumen, serta pengawasan mobilitas. Penelitian ini menegaskan bahwa administrative enforcement merupakan mekanisme meso-level yang menghubungkan mandat regulatif dan kapasitas teknis dengan tindakan administratif serta memperkuat keterkaitan antara population governance dan border governance.

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