Jakarta – With the Idul Fitri holiday now coming to a close, thousands of people have started to make their way from Central Java back to Jakarta early on Monday morning.

"We predict that the number of vehicles passing through the Pantura route will increase during the day because many people have to return to work tomorrow," said Sunarto, a police officer at the Indramayu town Lebaran security post, on Monday.

Because migrants see the capital and its surrounding areas as the "land of hope," people from more rural areas usually flock here after Idul Fitri. They tag along with friends or relatives returning home from the holiday.

The municipal government sees the mass exodus as a problem. Year after year, it tightens watch on Jakarta and the bordering cities of Bekasi and Depok from what they see as an invasion of unskilled migrants.

Raids have been regularly conducted over the years to ferret out newcomers who do not have the possibility of being employed in the city. These people are then sent back to their hometowns.

"On H+7 we will start the raid on newcomers. For those who do not meet the requirements, we are very sorry to inform you that you will be sent home to your hometowns," Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo told news portal tempointeraktif.com during the open house at his residence on Friday, referring to the seven days after Idul Fitri.

Some of these requirements include proof of employment and identification documents from the community head in the area.

Fauzi said he had always reminded Jakarta residents not to bring their friends or relatives to Jakarta, especially those without any skills. "We have communicated with many municipal governments in Indonesia about the requirements for anyone who wants to live in Jakarta," he said.

A similar concern was also expressed by the municipal government of Depok, West Java, which threatened to evict unemployed newcomers. "Anyone who comes to Depok with nothing to do will only increase the number of unemployed," Depok Mayor Nur Mahmudi Ismail said on Monday.

Nur asked Depok residents not to take people from their hometowns along with them unless there are can be employed. "If they have a job waiting for them or they want to open a business, then it's no problem, but otherwise, please don't," he said.

According to Nur, migration to Depok is growing by about 4 percent a year. (JG, Antara)