Could dual citizenship stop Indonesia’s brain drain?

Indonesia is considering allowing dual citizenship for a limited group of highly skilled Indonesians living abroad, including scientists, engineers, doctors and AI researchers. The proposal is aimed at encouraging Indonesians who have built careers overseas to maintain a connection with the country and eventually contribute to its economy and development.

But dual citizenship remains relatively uncommon in Asia. So why do countries such as Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore restrict it, while the Philippines and Cambodia allow it?

In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to a freelance journalist Randy Mulyanto in Jakarta about the reaction to Indonesia’s proposal and the country’s brain drain, and Professor Elaine Ho from the National University of Singapore about why Asian countries mostly take a different approach to Western countries about citizenship.

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