Illegal Adoption Victims Can Reclaim Indonesian Citizenship, Government Pushes for Accelerated Process

The Indonesian government has opened a pathway for foreign nationals who lost their Indonesian citizenship due to illegal adoptions to reclaim their status as Indonesian citizens. Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, stated that the process of restoring citizenship can be accelerated through legally regulated procedures. This statement was made in response to Dutch citizens who were victims of illegal adoption and wished to regain their Indonesian citizenship. Yusril explained that individuals who previously held WNI status and subsequently lost it can apply for its restoration. He noted that facilitation procedures are stipulated by law for such cases. While acknowledging that illegal adoption remains a criminal offense, the minister stressed the importance of providing protection and ease to victims who have lost their citizenship. "As citizens of our country, we must provide protection and ease for them to regain their WNI status," he asserted. The application for citizenship restoration is submitted to the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, which will process it through the established mechanism for restoring lost Indonesian citizenship. Yusril also indicated that even if the victim is now an adult, ongoing monitoring by accompanying teams and child protection agencies is necessary due to the circumstances of their adoption during childhood. The duration of the process depends on the timing of the application submission. Once the necessary documents are received, the government will expedite the processing. Yusril clarified that the Minister of Law handles these cases, and presidential involvement is typically reserved for naturalization for the country's benefit. Source: VOI English