Indonesian diaspora divided over new Global Citizenship visa scheme as new details emerge
Badminton player Setyana Mapasa, right, has represented Australia in multiple international tournaments. (Supplied: Olympics Australia)
Setyana Mapasa, an Olympic badminton player, had to give up her Indonesian citizenship to play the sport for Australia.
After moving to Sydney in 2013, she was still able to visit her family in Indonesia, but there was always a time limit on her stay.
So when Indonesia announced a new visa scheme in November that would let her live and work there indefinitely, she was excited.
Indonesia's Minister of Immigration Agus Andrianto said the Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) was "designed as an innovative solution to the issue of dual citizenship" and allowed foreign nationals with strong ties to the country to live there permanently.
Mapasa, second from left, with her family, who live in Indonesia. (Supplied: Setyana Mapasa)
Mapasa said the scheme would make it easier for her to potentially take up a job in Indonesia and hoped it would also create more opportunities for others who wanted to contribute to the country.
"Indonesia will always be home," Mapasa said.
Indonesian law does not recognise dual citizenship for adults, and children with two passports must make a choice of nationality when they turn 18.
There have long been calls for Indonesia to allow dual citizenship to attract skilled professionals back to Indonesia and help them maintain legal and cultural links to the country.
How the new Indonesia visa works
Indonesia's government says the new scheme has been modelled on India's Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) visa.
In India, people who hold the OCI have similar rights to citizens, but are not allowed to vote or own agricultural land. They can also own residential property.
Details on Indonesia's GCI are still emerging, but the Indonesian Ministry of Immigration's Abdullah Rasyid told the ABC there were no mentions of land and property ownership rights in the regulations that underpinned the new visa program.
"So far, GCI has only offered an unlimited permanent stay permit," he said.
Harun, an Indonesian citizen of Indian descent living in Bali, holds an OCI visa.
Both his paternal and maternal grandparents were born in India — however, to apply for an OCI, "you need only one direct ancestor from India", he said.
Harun said the only cost involved was the $US300 ($458) application fee.
"I can travel freely to India, buy and sell property — except for restricted categories — open a bank account, go to school … but I can't work [for the] government or vote in elections," Harun said.
In comparison, applicants for the new Indonesian visa would have to pay 34.8 million rupiah ($3,200) as well as make a financial commitment to Indonesia.
The commitment varies depending on their level of connection to the country.
Abdullah Rasyid says the Indonesian government is working on the visa details. (Supplied: Abdullah Rasyid)
Mr Rasyid said former Indonesian citizens must "hold bonds, shares, mutual funds and deposits worth $US5,000 ($7,647) in Indonesia" if they planned to live and settle there.
He said that "financial commitment" would increase to $US10,000 ($15,295) for first-generation descendants of former Indonesian citizens and $US25,000 for second-generation foreign descendants.
The Indonesian government said the financial commitment was "part of a mutual contribution framework."
Mr Rasyid added that under the new scheme, visa holders would be allowed unrestricted entry and exit from Indonesia, the right to work and do business without additional immigration permits, and priority consular services.
People with Indonesian parents or grandparents and spouses of Indonesian citizens are also eligible for the visa.
However, former Indonesian citizens working as civil servants, intelligence officers or military personnel in their new home countries are not eligible.
Indonesian diaspora divided over scheme
News of the new visa sparked mixed reaction from the Indonesian diaspora.
While some welcomed the visa, others believed it was not much different to existing permits and visas.
On social media, some Indonesians commented that the new visa amounted to a government revenue grab.
"National robbery!! Would never pay that price. Rather go on a visa trip and spend my money there instead," said one user on Instagram.
"I see this GC [Global Citizenship] as a way for the government to make money from former Indonesian citizens. Personally, I would never apply for this GC," said another.
But for other Indonesian diaspora members, like Tuti Poeppelmeyer in Germany, the new visa was met with cautious enthusiasm.
Tuti Poeppelmeyer is cautiously optimistic about the GCI visa. (Supplied: Tuti Poeppelmeyer)
Mrs Poeppelmeyer lives in Bremen with her husband, a German citizen, and their 11-year-old daughter.
"Official information about GCI is still scarce, and there's a lot of misinformation on social media," she said.
"But I was so excited when I heard about GCI, especially if it works like OCI, which means Indonesians overseas or former citizens could own property and land in Indonesia."
Mrs Poeppelmeyer said if that was allowed, she would almost certainly give up her Indonesian citizenship.
"Honestly, the only reason I've kept my Indonesian passport is because I have property and inheritance from my parents in Indonesia."
Under Indonesian law, a non-citizen who inherits land or property from their Indonesian parents must sell it within a year.
If it is not sold within that time, ownership rights change to usage rights.
"We'll see how it plays out in the next few years," Mrs Poeppelmeyer said.
'No real benefit'
Nuning Hallett returned to Indonesia after living abroad in the United States.
Dr Hallett is a former adjunct professor at the University of Buffalo who now works full-time researching and advocating for the citizenship rights of mixed-marriage families.
Nuning Hallett, second from left, with her children and husband. (Supplied: Nuning Hallett)
She said the Indonesian government's claim that the GCI was a solution for the "dual citizenship" issue and that it was modelled off India's OCI was "an overclaim".
"There's no real benefit offered by GCI," she said.
Dr Hallett said the key difference between the Indonesian and Indian schemes was evident in the investment commitment requirements.
"I see the GCI's purpose as clearly chasing non-tax state revenue, government bonds and deposits," she said.
"It's completely revenue-oriented, not about providing facilities for us … it's all about revenue."
Dr Hallett said the Indonesian diaspora had cheaper visa options, such as visa on arrival, temporary stay permits or even permanent stay permits.
"In a parliamentary hearing, the government said our [diaspora] remittances only make up 1 per cent of GDP, so there's a lot of untapped potential … maybe that's true, but this is not the way to do it," she said.
"If we want to follow India's approach, look at how they welcome their diaspora with very affordable costs … and as a gesture of appreciation, remittances will naturally increase."
Dr Hallett said diaspora members should not be forced to make deposits in Indonesia.
"If we could open a bank account without extra complicated paperwork, if we were allowed to buy residential property, people would come … but right now it feels like we're being extorted up-front — it creates resentment."
Mr Rasyid from the Immigration Ministry told the ABC the financial commitment was "part of a mutual contribution framework based on the principle of responsible migration benefit sharing."
"In global migration governance literature, there is the concept of benefit sharing, meaning that every long-term residence permit instrument must have mutuality between the state and the holder of special privileges."
Nuning Hallett is critical of the investment approach behind the GCI visa. (Supplied: Nuning Hallett)
Dr Hallett said another major difference between the OCI and GCI lay in their legal standing.
"OCI is embedded in [India's] Citizenship Law, while GCI only exists within immigration regulations."
Dr Hallett said the new scheme would be overridden by laws around property and land ownership or business rights.
"How could a ministerial regulation set or even change a law that has greater legal authority?" she said.
Dr Hallett said many in the diaspora would continue to push for changes to citizenship laws.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government said it would continue to refine the new scheme, which is set to come into effect on January 26.
"Since the development of GCI used India's OCI as a benchmark, the Directorate General of Immigration will continue to make improvements so that GCI services can match or even surpass OCI's quality,"Mr Rasyid said.
The diaspora community, including Mapasa, are keen to hear more details on the scheme.
The Olympian said she had received offers to coach badminton or open a club in Indonesia, but the time limit on her stay in Indonesia had always been a barrier.
"I even overstayed once … by 13 days, because I forgot [to renew my visa]," she said.
"I still feel [Indonesia] is home."