A senior cabinet minister has revealed that Indonesia is considering granting dual citizenship to individuals of Indonesian descent to attract skilled workers back to the country.
The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Pandjaitan, announced this initiative on Tuesday to offer dual citizenship to individuals who were formerly Indonesian citizens but now reside abroad. However, specific details regarding this initiative have yet to be announced.
This announcement coincides with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's pledge to make a $1.7 billion investment in Indonesia. It is hoped that this plan will provide additional incentives for multinational companies to increase their engagement with skilled workers in the country.
Current Indonesian law does not recognize dual citizenship for adults. According to the 2006 Citizenship Law, a child born to an Indonesian parent and a non-Indonesian parent can hold two passports until the age of 18. After that age, they have three years to choose and register their preferred citizenship.
However, the government is currently exploring possible policy changes to strengthen ties with the diaspora community and attract skilled professionals back to Indonesia.
Regionally, only five out of 11 countries in Southeast Asia allow dual citizenship, namely Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste.
Information from the Directorate General of Immigration in Indonesia indicates that close to 1,000 Indonesian students between the ages of 25 and 35 move to Singapore each year to become citizens, highlighting the flow of talent from Indonesia to neighboring countries with more flexible citizenship policies. Many are also interested in scholarships from Australia and New Zealand, which cover tuition fees, pre-departure training, and substantial living allowances.
Those who secure jobs overseas often receive significantly lower salaries compared to the same jobs abroad, such as in Singapore, where the salary comparison is more than 10 times higher. No wonder they are looking for better opportunities. Combined with the high unemployment rates of these young people (19.4% between the ages of 15 and 24).
Unfortunately, the economic impact of this talent drain could be significant in the long run, jeopardizing the government's goal of becoming a developed country by 2045, which relies on Indonesia's young population.
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