Will Indonesia’s new Global Citizenship Scheme Encourage Diaspora to Return?

Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto introduced the new policy as ‘a solution to the issue of dual citizenship’. ‘GCI is a solution that addresses the dual citizenship controversy by granting broad residency rights to foreign nationals who have strong ties to Indonesia without changing their foreign citizenship status and without violating state regulations,’ he stated. The Global Citizenship Investment (GCI) program in Indonesia is inspired by India’s Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme, initiated in 2006, providing permanent residency to individuals of Indian origin and their spouses, enabling them to work and live in India indefinitely. As of May, India has issued over 5 million OCI cards, as per its Ministry of Home Affairs.