Foreign nationals in Indonesia want dual citizenship so they can live in their homes and work without worries

Doreen (right) has no right to own the property she's lived in for decades because of her citizenship. (Supplied: Doreen Biehle)

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When Doreen Biehle's husband died, her living situation became precarious.

Ms Biehle, who is from the United States, met her Indonesian husband Widjanarko when they were studying in the Philippines in the 1980s.

They married and moved to Indonesia, where she bought their home in Bogor, about 60 kilometres south of Jakarta.

Foreigners can't own land in Indonesia, but they can buy property through leasehold agreements for 30 years with an option to renew for another 30.

To stay in the country, they also need a sponsor and must extend their permanent stay permit every five years.

When Ms Biehle's husband died in 2003, she lost her sponsor.

Although she has been sponsored in recent years by a foundation she's been working for, the laws have changed.

She now needs an immediate family member to sponsor her if she wants to remain in the country — and keep her home.

Otherwise, she must forfeit the property to the government.

"Without a spouse or child, this becomes difficult," Ms Biehle said.

Ms Biehle says all of her headaches could be solved if Indonesia allowed dual citizenship.

Fight for dual citizenship

Ms Biehle is one of many foreigners in Indonesia who have been fighting for dual citizenship rights because laws around things like residency, work and inheritance have been leaving people in limbo.

Having moved to the country decades ago, she had banked on laws eventually changing.

"I thought, surely … dual citizenship will come around," she said.

"And then we can put [the house permanently] in my name or both of our names and then it will be safe.

"But here we are."

Debate around dual citizenship has been kicking around Indonesian politics for some time.

It was recently brought back into the mix when Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan mentioned it as a way to help end the country's brain drain.

He wants to be able to lure back skilled Indonesian citizens who have moved abroad and gained other citizenships.

But not everyone is keen on allowing dual citizens.

Two weeks ago, Minister for Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly said due to growing demand, the Indonesian government had been considering other ways to tackle the issue.

"We can give the Indonesian diaspora a life-long, multiple-entry visa. They can open businesses here. They can stay here and freely enter and exit Indonesia," he said.

"That is the best we can give."

But that option would not address the concerns raised by foreign citizens like Ms Biehle.

The ABC has contacted the government for comment.

Constitutional law expert Nur Widyastanti said while allowing dual citizenship would help boost the economy, there were other concerns, such as espionage.

"What if someone who has two citizenships … abuses one citizenship to spy on the other?" she told the ABC.

'Our whole lives are here'

Sally Wellesley, a UK citizen, is in a similar situation to Ms Biehle.

She's been in the country for more than 30 years but since her husband died in 2022, her living situation has become "a lot more uncertain".

"Our whole lives are here … our networks, our friends, our community," she told the ABC.

She's facing the same sponsorship issues as Ms Biehle and has also spent hundreds of dollars on visas to leave and re-enter the country.

Ms Wellesley said she didn't want to give up her UK citizenship because she still had family there.

"I now feel Indonesian too, so I would gladly get Indonesian citizenship if I was able to keep both," she said.

Foreign citizens have also raised issues around working rights.

Hristina Nikolić Murti, a Serbian citizen who has lived in Indonesia for 22 years, said she had been very careful when it came to the work she did.

"We're in this very, very vulnerable position," she said.

The working rights of foreign citizens are regulated under both separate immigration and Ministry of Manpower laws, making things complicated.

On one hand, they can work or run a business to support their family but on the other hand, they can only be on temporary employment agreements.

They must also have a Foreign Worker Utilisation Plan, which costs employers at least $150 per month.

Ms Murti, a freelance translator and event coordinator, said there was a "gap and huge grey area" in the laws.

"I am always on my toes, worrying if I break any laws," she said.

"[Immigration law] clearly states that we, as spouses of Indonesian citizens who live in Indonesia, are allowed to provide for our family. So, we have the right to work.

"However, we need special permission to do so."

Ms Murti said she felt like she had been treated "just a little bit better than a tourist".

"We are real people, with real families and real issues that can be solved if there is a will from authorities," she said.