By: Mohammad Irfandi)*
Various cases of dual citizenship in Indonesia increasingly becoming prolonged spotlight lately. This raises questions about how and why the citizens of Indonesia (citizen) making dual citizenship abroad. So whether Indonesia will act to revise Law No. 12 of 2006 concerning the Indonesian citizenship or remain consistent with single citizenship status?
Former Indonesian Ambassador to the US, Dino Patti Djalal explained that there are three categories of citizens who live in the US and would like to make dual citizenship. The first category is usually a citizen who has a passport as a tourist destination but has worked in the US. The second category is the citizens who live and work in the US, but in a period of time not too long ago. For this second category, Dino explains citizen will usually get a Green Card or Permanent Resident U.S before obtaining US citizenship.
Permanent resident status who owned the citizen’s rights are limited. This then triggers the citizen trying to get dual citizenship. Dino explained to US citizenship could be obtained if they had stayed there a few years. All three had lived in America a few years later he was asked to become a citizen. Well it’s quite a lot, “he said. Dino, stating the reasons many citizen making dual citizenship, especially in the US, partly because of the education factor.
According to Dino, US citizens can get all the facilities related to education free of charge. It is then initiated citizen makes his US citizenship.
Of these three factors, when associated with Arcandra Tahar case, of course, close relation to the discourse of the revision of Law No. 12 of 2006 on Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia re-sticking, post-emergence of dual-nationality case of former Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources.
Revision of this law never entered into national legislation program DPR. However, until now this has not been discussed. One of the points that discourse to be revised regarding the permissibility of the citizen holds dual citizenship status. In some countries, there are allow citizens bearing dual status. According to Jusuf Kalla, Vice President, This is certainly the talk between the government and the House and we have not talked about it.
According to Kalla, there are advantages and disadvantages of Law in Indonesia to allow its citizens holds dual citizenship status. The upside, if there is a talented citizen living abroad, they can be called back to the country without fear of losing their citizenship status. The Indian constitution allows citizens bearing dual-citizenship. On the other hand, the government also needs to anticipate the negative impact of the dual status. Therefore, current trends, according to Kalla, not least those who live abroad, are reluctant to return to the country and prefer to serve other countries.
However in the future, towards a policy determination must weigh the benefits and disadvantages sector received, both of which will never be separated after the determination of a government policy. Therefore, when trying to revise Law No. 12 of 2006 required in-depth study and logical so that it can be accepted by all Indonesian citizens. All done in order to maintain and promote the nation in the era of progress.
)* Indonesia Political Economy Observer