aw and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly has said a revision of the Citizenship Law to allow dual citizenship is unnecessary as the existing visa system accommodates members of the Indonesian diaspora in traveling back and forth to the country.
Indonesians who have settled abroad and become foreign citizens often say they want dual citizenship to enable them to visit and work in Indonesia. However, Yasonna said Government Regulation (PP) No. 26/2016 signed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on June 27 had facilitated Indonesians living abroad.
The regulation, which is an amendment of PP No. 31/2013, as an elaboration of the law on immigration, stipulated that applicants could obtain stay permits for multiple visits with five years’ validity, Yasonna said.
"They can stay for half a year in Indonesia [and return abroad] and if they want to come back here there's no need to apply for a visa anymore," Yasonna said on Tuesday.
Therefore, Yasonna said, there was no urgency for the country to revise the Citizenship Law, adding that the idea of allowing dual citizenship in the country should be carefully studied and analyzed as it was not in line with Indonesia's conservative views toward citizenship.
Earlier in 2015, Jokowi promised that his administration would seek ways to allow Indonesian citizens and their families living abroad to hold dual citizenship. The President was urged to immediately amend Law No. 12/2006 on citizenship, which currently does not allow citizens to hold dual citizenship. (bbn)
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