Illegal Adoption Victims Can Return to Become Indonesian Citizens, Yusril Requests Process to Be Accelerated

Illegal Adoption Victims Can Return to Become Indonesian Citizens, Yusril Requests Process to Be Accelerated. (Instagram @yurilihzamd)

Jakarta - The government has opened the way for foreign citizens who are victims of illegal adoption who have lost their Indonesian citizenship to return to being Indonesian citizens.

Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the process of restoring citizenship status could be accelerated through procedures that had been regulated by law.

"That's the normal process and if it can be accelerated," said Yusril at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 22.

The statement was made in response to Dutch citizens who were victims of illegal adoption who wanted to regain their Indonesian citizenship status.

Yusril explained that a person who previously had the status of WNI and lost his citizenship could apply to get it back.

"There are facilitation procedures regulated by law," he said.

According to Yusril, illegal adoption is still a criminal matter. However, victims who lose their citizenship status must receive protection and ease.

"For those concerned, as citizens of our country, we must provide protection and ease to regain their WNI status," he said.

The application was submitted to the Ministry of Law. The government then processed it through the mechanism for restoring the status of lost Indonesian citizens.

Yusril said that the accompanying team and child protection agencies could also monitor the process. Assistance is still needed even though the victim is now an adult because the adoption occurred when they were still children.

The length of the process depends on the time of submission of the application. After the documents are received, the government will immediately process them.

"Now it is handled by the Minister of Law, there is no need for the President to handle it, except for naturalization for the sake of the country," said Yusril.