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Diaspora: Awaiting dual citizenship

Though they may no longer hold the green Indonesian passport, the Indonesian diaspora regularly remit thousands of dollars to their families and kin for support, mostly driven by a purely altruistic orientation.

Nur Aisyah Kotarumalos (The Jakarta Post)
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Jakarta
Wed, July 5, 2017

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Diaspora: Awaiting dual citizenship In Indonesia, there is still strong resistance over dual citizenship, including the questions of national loyalty and brain drain. Under Law No. 12/2006 on nationality, Indonesia prohibits its citizens from taking dual nationality. (Shutterstock/File)

T

he 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress, in continuing a fairly new tradition involving the Indonesia Diaspora Network Global, was held in Jakarta from July 1 to 4 “starring” former United States president Barack Obama.

The term “diaspora,” which has been adopted into Indonesian, is used to mean Indonesians who live abroad but still maintain their connection with Indonesians back home.

Ever since the 1st Indonesian Diaspora Congress in 2012, the demand for dual — or at least flexible — citizenship in the case of the Indian diaspora has been raised by Indonesians living abroad , yet it has yet to materialize.

The number of Indonesians in the diaspora has increased significantly over the last decade and today, some eight million Indonesians reside overseas.

Many are highly skilled migrants who have permanently settled in developed countries, particularly in the US, Australia, Singapore and European countries. Several have renounced Indonesian citizenship for pragmatic reasons ranging from educational access for their children to job flexibility, and from public welfare to buying property in their country of residence.

While there is much criticism over transferring nationality, the citizenship practices have shifted dramatically amongst much of the Indonesian diaspora and people elsewhere around the globe.

Many overseas Indonesians feel that even if they give up their nationality, their loyalty to their native land will remain the same or may even be stronger, as the Tanah Air — or homeland — is culturally perceived as sacred and a source of identity.

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