JAKARTA, April 30 — Indonesia may offer dual citizenship to people of Indonesian descent to entice more skilled workers into the country, a senior cabinet minister said today.
It does not recognise dual citizenship for adults; according to Indonesian law, a child with two passports must choose one and renounce the other when they turn 18.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan said the government plans to give dual citizenship to former Indonesian citizens living overseas, but did not offer details.
He was speaking ahead of Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella, who pledged a US$1.7 billion (RM8.07 billion) investment in Indonesia.
“We also invite diaspora Indonesia and we give them also, soon, dual citizen. Which I think will … bring very skilful Indonesians back to Indonesia,” Luhut said.
Nearly 4,000 Indonesians became Singaporean citizens between 2019 to 2022, according to data from the Directorate General of Immigration.
The immigration agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the plans to allow for dual citizenship.
The issue of dual citizenship caused some controversy in 2016 when Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo removed Arcandra Tahar as energy and mining minister after less than a month on the job following reports he held United States and Indonesian passports.
— Reuters
