Indonesia’s dual citizenship plan wins diaspora support, but is it enough to tempt them home?
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is considering a limited dual citizenship program to attract skilled diaspora professionals back to the country. The proposal aims to leverage the expertise of citizens living abroad in fields like science, engineering, and technology.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader trend of developing nations attempting to reverse 'brain drain' by modernizing citizenship laws to retain ties with high-skilled emigrants.
President Prabowo Subianto has said the government is mulling offering limited dual citizenship to attract millions of strategically important diaspora talent who could make extraordinary contributions to the nation.
The logo of Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration is seen at an immigration office in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: CNA/Ridhwan Siregar)
Kiki Siregar & Eric Wen Dianshu 07 Sep 2026 06:00AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST JAKARTA: For two decades, the United States has been home for Indonesian Vivi Fajar, her husband and three children.
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