Indonesia plans to offer dual citizenship to halt brain drain

INDONESIA is planning to offer dual citizenship to its skilled diaspora as part of efforts to stem a brain drain of local talent.

(The Malaysian Reserve) – Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Panjaitan made the announcement on Tuesday without giving further details.

The country seeks to have nearly 3,000 youths ready to work as developers by 2029 and an artificial intelligence center in Bali, he said at the briefing attended by Microsoft’s chief executive officer Satya Nadella.

Indonesia’s law currently prohibits dual citizenship, even as it grapples with an outflow of talent seeking better employment prospects abroad. As many as 1,000 Indonesian students aged between 25 and 35 have decided to become Singaporean citizens each year, said the country’s director of immigration.

Meanwhile, the local unemployment rate stood at 5.3%, with the rate for those aged 15 to 24 hovering at 19.4%, according to the statistics agency.