Indonesia may soon offer dual citizenship to people of Indonesian descent as part of a new strategy to attract skilled workers back to the country, a senior cabinet minister said on Tuesday.
Currently, Indonesian law does not recognize dual citizenship for adults. A child with two passports must choose one and renounce the other upon turning 18. The government, however, is exploring a change in policy to retain ties with its diaspora community and bring skilled professionals back to Indonesia.
Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, announced plans to offer dual citizenship to former Indonesian citizens living overseas, although details of the initiative have not yet been disclosed. During his remarks, Luhut said, "We also invite diaspora Indonesia and we give them also, soon, dual citizen," indicating that this move could encourage skilled Indonesians to return to the country.
The announcement came just before Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's pledge to invest $1.7 billion in Indonesia. The potential for dual citizenship could create additional incentives for multinational companies to establish deeper connections with Indonesia's skilled workforce.
Data from the Directorate General of Immigration indicates that nearly 4,000 Indonesians became Singaporean citizens between 2019 and 2022. This highlights the outflow of talent from Indonesia to neighboring countries with more flexible citizenship policies.
The issue of dual citizenship has been a point of controversy in Indonesia. In 2016, President Joko Widodo removed Arcandra Tahar from his position as energy and mining minister after less than a month in the role, following reports that he held both U.S. and Indonesian passports.
Despite the mixed history, this new policy could pave the way for a more inclusive approach to citizenship. By allowing dual citizenship, Indonesia aims to strengthen its connection with the diaspora and potentially leverage their skills and experience to drive economic growth and innovation within the country.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/indonesia-mulls-dual-citizenship-plan-to-attract-skilled-workers/articleshow/109719554.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
