JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – Indonesia’s Minister of Law and Human Rights, Supratman Andi Agtas, announced that he would first consult with the respective embassies regarding requests from Japanese citizens to obtain Indonesian citizenship.

During a courtesy visit from Japan’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Masaki Yasushi, on Thursday, December 12, 2024, in Jakarta, Supratman explained that the confirmation with embassies was necessary to ensure the legitimacy of foreign nationals applying for citizenship.

This process would help assess whether the applicants were truly interested in becoming Indonesian citizens and not attempting to avoid legal issues or other problems in their home countries.

“We need this confirmation to ensure that the profiles of these applicants are legitimate and that they are not trying to avoid legal issues in their home countries or other complications,” Supratman said, as quoted by his official statement in Jakarta on Friday.

Additionally, Supratman emphasized the importance of smoother cooperation between Indonesia and Japan in handling Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) cases. He also expressed his gratitude for Japan’s support in facilitating the deportation of a Japanese fugitive from Batam earlier this year.

Supratman further appreciated the collaboration with Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has assisted Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights in strengthening the capacity of legislative drafters and staff at the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP).

“We hope this cooperation will continue,” he added.

Regarding the citizenship requests from Japanese nationals, Ambassador Masaki Yasushi refrained from providing further comments. He stated that he would consult with relevant colleagues in Japan for further discussions.