JAKARTA - Indonesia’s push to revise its citizenship law moved forward on Friday, April 17, when Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said in Jakarta that the bill should be completed this year.
The remark came during a joint press conference with Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir at the Ministry of Law office, according to the ministry’s official release. Indonesia’s state-owned agency Antara reported Supratman saying, “The government is currently drafting and finalizing the bill.
The substance was laid out earlier by Vice Minister of Law Edward O.S. Hiariej, speaking for the government at a working meeting with House Commission XIII (Komisi XIII DPR RI) in Jakarta on Monday, March 30. He said the draft would extend the deadline for children with limited dual nationality to choose citizenship, quoting the bill as changing the age window from “18-21 years to 18-26 years.”
Hiariej also said the draft introduces “certain dual citizenship” for foreigners with extraordinary service or strategic value in science and technology, economy and investment, culture, sports, and other nationally important sectors. The same official release says Article 60 would cover former Indonesians and their descendants up to the third degree.
In the latest official status update, published April 16, Hiariej told a working meeting with the House Legislation Body that the amendment to Law No. 12 of 2006 was still among seven bills under internal government discussion.
The immediate trigger was the passport controversy involving four Indonesia international footballers playing in the Netherlands in what was dubbed in Dutch media as “passportgate.”
Indonesia’s Dean James of Go Ahead Eagles, Tim Geypens of FC Emmen, Nathan Tjoe-A-On of Willem II, and Justin Hubner of Fortuna Sittard, were sidelined by their respective clubs due to passport and work-permit complications. They previously held Dutch citizenship but switched nationality to Indonesia, which cost them their Dutch/EU player status and meant they had to be re-registered under Dutch rules for non-EU players.
In James’ case, the issue intensified after NAC Breda questioned his eligibility following Go Ahead Eagles’ 6–0 win, a result that came while Breda were trying to climb out of the Eredivisie relegation zone. Geypens later needed a temporary residence permit and Willem II said Tjoe-A-On had to obtain the required work permit.
