June 26, 2024
JAKARTA – The initiative to offer members of the Indonesian diaspora a lifelong visa and other facilities normally given only to citizens shows that the government is starting to embrace them and to recognize their potential contribution to the nation, even when they no longer hold Indonesian citizenship.
In the past, the government, and probably the public, regarded those who had given up their Indonesian citizenship to move to another country as people who had turned their backs on their country.
Dual nationality, which has been a long-standing demand of the Indonesian diaspora, is still out of the question because it requires the country to amend the 2006 Law on Citizenship which bans dual nationality. This would require time, as the nation would need to debate, and the House of Representatives would need to deliberate and then pass a new law. But we sense that the mood among some government officials is moving toward a push for dual citizenship.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan may have spoken out of turn in May when he said the government wants to grant dual citizenship to talented members of the Indonesian diaspora, particularly those in the digital industry. Luhut later agreed that this plan was not going to happen any time soon given the legal complexity and said that giving them a lifelong visa would be the next best thing.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly suggested that Indonesia copy the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme as a temporary solution. Introduced in 2005, the scheme allows people of Indian origin and their spouses to live and work in India indefinitely. OCI cardholders enjoy benefits usually denied to foreigners, such as to buy property, but they do not have the right to vote in elections or the right to run for elected office.
The Indian law also forbids dual citizenship. But Indonesia could be more progressive than India by moving faster in allowing dual citizenship. Dozens of countries around the world have already reaped the benefits of this through the work contributions of these dual citizens, the investments they make and the taxes they pay, and more importantly often through their representation of their country of origin as effective ambassadors in their adopted countries.
The chief argument against dual citizenship is that it raises questions about where loyalty lies. The perception that those who give up their Indonesian citizenship are traitors comes from this. But the growing number of Indonesians working and living overseas, and some who are changing their nationalities, have disproved this claim. There is no reason to hold on to the ban on dual citizenship anymore.
Many of them retain their culture and traditions abroad, and are likely to still eat rice, albeit in smaller portions. While they may no longer hold Indonesian passports, we should never let paperwork define who they are. To disown them and call them traitors is a huge loss for Indonesia.
The exact size of the Indonesian diaspora is difficult to determine as it depends on your definition of who is a member of this group. We will let the regulations decide who qualifies for the permanent visa scheme – and for dual citizenship – should Indonesia move in that direction.
But if we want to capture their potential contributions, we should not impose too many restrictions. This includes not only those who have emigrated, but also their descendants who were born and are living in their adopted countries. To impose too many restrictions would lead to the loss of their talent and potential to contribute to Indonesia.
A lifelong visa, and later a dual citizenship facility, would support the current path toward Indonesia Golden Year 2045, when we envision the country to be among the world’s advanced nations. When we mark the republic’s 100th independence anniversary, having these members of the diaspora join the celebrations would truly reflect the spirit of our anthem Indonesia Raya (Great Indonesia).