he long-gestating plan to revise the 2006 Citizenship Law has taken center stage once again as the House of Representatives invited a number of experts and stakeholders to discuss the potential merits and pitfalls of dual nationality, particularly as it relates to the welfare of the Indonesian diaspora and national sovereignty.

Speaking during a focus group discussion held by the House on Wednesday, House Deputy Speaker Azis Syamsuddin called for a careful, multifaceted consideration of dual citizenship, noting that it was crucial that the revision, included in the 2020-2024 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), maintained its current “rhythm” so it could be passed into law in the near future.

A major talking point in the discussion revolved around the benefits – both material and otherwise – that Indonesia would gain once it legally acknowledges dual citizenship, and, therefore, cementing the strategic role of roughly 8 million members of the Indonesian diaspora as valid and active contributors to national development.

“Data from the World Bank shows that diaspora remittances have reached Rp 110 trillion [US$7.83 billion],” University of Indonesia law professor Satya Arinanto told the forum, which was live-streamed on the House’s YouTube channel.

“Additionally, countries that [acknowledge dual nationality] have benefitted from outstanding human resources.”

Satya emphasized that dual nationality should not be misconstrued as a free pass for foreigners to obtain Indonesian citizenship. Rather, it should be viewed as an effort to ensure the wellbeing of Indonesians abroad, as well as their relatives and offspring, he said.

He added that such a major policy change required considerable political support from the government and lawmakers, since it entailed a paradigm shift in regard to the country’s rigid single-nationality system.

Dual citizenship is currently not recognized in Indonesia, per the Citizenship Law. That said, the country grants some leeway for children born to parents of different nationalities, allowing them to have dual nationality until they reach 18 years of age, at which point they are obliged to choose one citizenship.

Families of mixed nationality have for years actively campaigned for the immediate revision of the Citizenship Law, arguing that Indonesia’s single citizenship policy undermined the future of their relatives, especially those who are still living in the country.

The revelations that former energy and mineral resources minister Arcandra Tahar and then-17-year-old national flag-hoisting (Paskibraka) member Gloria Natapradja Hamel held United States and France passports, respectively, catapulted the debate onto the national stage.

As stipulated in the 1960 Agrarian Law, non-Indonesian family members are prohibited from inheriting property such as land and houses from their Indonesian family members, because the country only grants Indonesian nationals ownership rights for such assets.

Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) cofounder Dino Patti Djalal argued that integrating the Indonesian diaspora into the very fabric of the country’s development could pay dividends, given their “highly positive” political value.

“It’s an undeniable fact that nationalism runs high among [Indonesian] diaspora,” Dino said during the discussion. “The diaspora community has always [represented] the Indonesian civilization in various parts of the globe.”

He further addressed the elephant in the room, namely security concerns arising from granting non-Indonesians dual nationality in the country. For instance, adopting the dual nationality policy was long feared to be a step toward welcoming bad actors and dangerous foreign elements.

Dino dismissed such concerns as unconvincing, arguing that they stemmed from a reductive view of the country’s diaspora.

“There were fears about alleged former PKI [Indonesian Communist Party] members in Czechoslovakia. But we aren’t talking about them,” he said. Instead, the country should look past vague perceptions of potential threats and focus on the positive opportunities that dual nationality could bring to the table, he said.

E. Suryo Widodo, the director of the State Intelligence Agency’s (BIN) counter-espionage unit, said the government and lawmakers should still consider how dual nationality could impact the safety and security of native Indonesians in the country.

“Among the important issues in this regard, for instance, is higher competition on the job market as the country welcomes foreign workers,” Suryo said.

For years, the state has subscribed to a security-first approach to dual citizenship, which favors national security over the vast potential in development.

However, in recent years, state initiatives such as the Foreign Ministry’s Diaspora Card or decisions to allow couples of mixed nationalities to reunite under the strict regime of closed borders has sustained hope for open dialogue.