Yusril Plans To Form A Joint Commission For The Philippines To Handle 8 Thousand Indonesian Citizens Without Birth Certificates

Yusril Ihza Mahendra/DOK via Instagram @yusrilihzamhd

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections (Kumham Imipas) Yusril Ihza Mahendra plans to form a commission with the Philippines. These two countries are trying to take care of 8,000 Indonesians who do not have a birth certificate.

This was conveyed by Yusril when receiving a visit from the Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia, Gina Aragon Jamoralin at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Kumham Imipas, Jakarta today Monday, November 11. The absence of birth certificates for Indonesian citizens must be completed immediately.

"I suggest that a joint commission be formed between the two countries to formulate the problems they face and resolve this problem," said Yusril in a written statement.

Yusril said most of them were the second generation of Indonesian fishermen who lived in the south of the Philippines. When they were born, their parents did not take care of birth certificate documents and did not register them with Indonesian authorities.

Likewise with Filipinos, he said there were about 300 people who did not have a birth certificate. "Especially in the islands around North Sulawesi," he said.

The existence of this joint commission is expected to solve the citizenship problem. They will be assigned a data collection to then register.

"Most of the children born there do not have birth certificates in the Philippines. They are not registered," he said.

"And I think this problem needs to be resolved considering the good relations between the two countries," he concluded.