Minister of Law and Human Rights speaks out on Indonesian national team players suspected of holding dual passports

VIVA – Law and Human Rights Minister Suprathman has spoken out against allegations that several Indonesian national team players have dual passports.

The issue of double passports for Indonesian national team players was raised by former Indonesian ambassador to Poland Peter Gonta. The man, who is also a businessman, is upset about the naturalization program implemented by PSSI for the Indonesian national team.

“Did you know that their naturalization is temporary because they have two passports, when they play in Indonesia they lose their Indonesian citizenship? (I know),” Peter Gonta wrote on his personal Instagram account.

The two Indonesian national team players suspected of having two passports are Jay Idzes and Marten Paes.

In this regard, Minister of Law and Human Rights Suprathman Andi Agtas stressed that Indonesian national team players currently only have Indonesian citizenship passports (WNI).

“Therefore, once again the Director General of Immigration responded to the issue of passport availability. (Silmy Karim)”The statement of the Director General of Immigration is clear,” Supratman told reporters.

Supratman explained that the naturalized players of the Indonesian national team used a special naturalization method.

This is in line with the National Football Acceleration Programme signed by President Joko Widodo.

“There are two types of naturalization: ordinary naturalization and special naturalization. What we had with the two players who were in Commission III yesterday was special naturalization,” he said.

“Why are we doing a special naturalization? Because our goal is to take the Indonesian national team to the World Cup. This is President Jokowi’s program, and then it will be the program of the president-elect,” Supratman explained.