The government has disowned Indonesian nationals who joined the Islamic State (IS) movement abroad, declaring them stateless and stripped of their citizenship after officials decided against repatriation.

Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP) Moeldoko said the IS sympathizers’ citizenship had been automatically lost following their decision to join the terrorist movement in Syria.

“[The IS sympathizers] are stateless. It was clearly stipulated in the law on citizenship,” said Moeldoko at the Presidential Palace Complex on Thursday, adding that the fact that several IS sympathizers burned their Indonesian passports signified their forfeited citizenship.

Article 23 of the 2006 Citizenship Law stipulates that Indonesian nationals can lose their citizenship after, among other things, joining a foreign military or taking an oath of allegiance to ...