Indonesia to introduce 'limited' dual citizenship

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced on Friday that the government was planning to revise its citizenship law to allow some Indonesians to hold dual nationality for the first time.

In a wide-ranging speech announcing the state budget next year for Southeast Asia's largest economy, Prabowo said the government would table the revision to parliament to allow "millions" from the Indonesian diaspora to contribute to the country's development.

Here are the details:

Prabowo said the dual citizenship plans would be "limited", adding the policy would be measured in its design, with "national interests" fully protected.

Indonesian law does not currently recognise dual citizenship for adults, and minors with two passports must choose their nationality when they turn 18.

"Today, I tell the parliament the government's recommendation that we permit dual citizenship for selected talents that Indonesia needs," he said, citing doctors, AI experts, artists and soccer players as examples.

"We shouldn't force the best Indonesian talents to choose between a chance to contribute to the world and their ties to our land," he said.

Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Indonesia's deputy house speaker, told reporters that lawmakers had processed citizenship applications for athletes.

An influx of mainly Dutch-born members of Indonesia's diaspora has entered the national soccer team.

Last year, Indonesia opened applications for permits that would allow former Indonesian citizens to live and work in the country for an indefinite period as an alternative to dual citizenship.

Calls to allow dual citizenship have increased amid concerns about a "brain drain" as Indonesians leave the country for better opportunities abroad.

Nearly 4,000 Indonesians became Singaporean citizens from 2019 to 2022, according to data from the Directorate General of Immigration. Indonesia's population is 290 million people, making it the fourth most populous country in the world.

-Reporting by Stanley Widianto and Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Martin Petty and David Stanway/Reuters