Dual Citizenship Proposal: Great Opportunity or Threat for Local Athletes?

The government's proposal to open limited dual citizenship opportunities for specific talents could bring fresh momentum for Indonesian sports. However, beyond the prospect of accessing more diaspora athletes, this policy also raises a number of challenges, ranging from loyalty concerns to impacts on local athlete opportunities.

The government is proposing amendments to existing legislation to enable limited dual citizenship eligibility for selected talents assessed to be able to contribute to national interests.

This proposal was delivered by President Prabowo during his opening government statement on the 2027 State Budget Bill and its accompanying Financial Note at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Friday.

"Today I convey to this Council, the proposal of the Government of Indonesia, our recommendation to allow dual citizenship for specific talents that are needed by the Indonesian nation," Prabowo stated.

According to Prabowo, Indonesia has millions of diaspora residing across the world. Among them are talents with expertise required by Indonesia, including scientists, medical doctors, engineers, artificial intelligence specialists, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes.

However, the President emphasized that this policy will not be implemented indiscriminately. The government has stated that the process will be carried out selectively and in a measured manner, with integrity screenings, clear legal obligations, and will always prioritize national security and national interests.

New Opportunities For Indonesian Diaspora Athletes

For the sports sector, this dual citizenship proposal opens new pathways, particularly for diaspora athletes who have long faced the difficult choice between retaining citizenship of their country of residence, or becoming an Indonesian citizen.

Indonesian football analyst Mohamad Kusnaeni assessed that this policy carries significant potential benefits for national sports development. Even so, he cautioned that its implementation must proceed with thorough consideration.

"In my view, this planned dual citizenship policy must be approached very carefully, as there are both advantages and downsides – though the benefits will be greater, including for the development of Indonesian sports," Kusnaeni stated in Jakarta.

Kusnaeni described the initiative as a realistic response to globalisation trends. In modern international sport, athlete mobility and cross-national ties have become standard practice.

He cited the example of many professional players in the French Ligue 1 originating from Morocco. Historical ties between the two nations mean numerous players have heritage and citizenship connections to both countries.

This same pattern can also be observed in the United Kingdom, with athletes from countries that share historical links with Britain.

"So globally, dual citizenship arrangements are already commonplace in this context," he added.

Risks Of Divided Loyalty And Impacts On Local Athlete Pathways

While acknowledging the many potential benefits, Kusnaeni stressed that Indonesia must still proceed with caution. Notably, Indonesia's legal system has historically operated under the single citizenship principle.

For this reason, the policy change must be designed comprehensively, including clear eligibility criteria for dual citizenship status and robust oversight mechanisms.

From a sports perspective, this policy would potentially make it far easier for Indonesia to recruit high-performing diaspora athletes. These individuals would no longer face the major dilemma of having to renounce their other citizenship in order to represent the Indonesian national team.

On the other hand however, this raises concerns over athlete loyalty, as well as the risk of reduced opportunities for domestically developed athletes.

"That is exactly why this dual citizenship policy must be handled extremely carefully, discussed comprehensively and with great foresight," he stated.

For Indonesian football in particular, this issue carries significant weight, as naturalisation programmes have been a key component of national team strengthening efforts in recent years.

While the inclusion of heritage players has expanded selection options for coaching staff, youth development and local talent nurturing remains an irreplaceable foundation.

If implemented, the dual citizenship policy will provide greater operational flexibility. However, sports federations and the government must maintain a careful balance, to ensure that diaspora talent recruitment does not undermine the development pathways for local players.

FPTI Remains Committed To Local Athlete Potential

Not all sports disciplines see an urgent need to recruit athletes from overseas. For example, the Central Board of the Indonesian Sport Climbing Federation (PP FPTI) has confirmed that it has no plans to recruit naturalised or dual citizen athletes.

PP FPTI General Secretary Wahyu Pristiawan Buntoro stated that the federation retains full confidence in the talent pool available within the country.

"We have no such plans at this time. We continue to trust the potential of our existing local athletes, and we also have a very large talent reserve," he said in Jakarta.

Instead, FPTI is prioritising strengthening early age athlete development programmes, as well as expanding talent scouting and development initiatives across all regions of Indonesia. This strategy is intended to build a sustainable long term national talent pool.

For sport climbing, the abundance of domestic potential athletes is considered the core foundation for maintaining Indonesia's international competitive performance.

For this reason, strengthening regional development systems is viewed as a far more strategic approach than recruiting heritage or mixed background athletes from overseas.