Citizenship Protection Beyond Borders: Undocumented Indonesians and Migration Governance in the ASEAN

Abstract

This study analyzed how Indonesia protects the citizenship status of undocumented Indonesian nationals abroad, using the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah as a case study. It focused on the interaction between legal frameworks, institutional arrangements, and policy implementation in protecting overseas citizens who reside abroad illegally. Particular attention is given to the role of immigration authorities in issuing passports and travel documents as practical policy instruments that enable access to protection and legal recognition. The study combined qualitative content analysis with process tracing. The study shows that consular services play a critical role in translating legal obligations into operational protection for vulnerable Indonesians in Saudi Arabia, while also highlighting the risk of citizenship loss under Article 23 of Law No. 12/2006 when administrative access is constrained. Drawing on a qualitative and comparative analysis of regularization practices in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, the study situated Indonesia’s approach within the wider dynamics of ASEAN migration governance. The findings indicate that protection gaps stem less from the absence of policy commitments than from fragmented implementation, particularly the institutional separation between immigration and citizenship administration. Strengthening coordination between these functions, at both the regulatory and institutional levels, is therefore essential to improve the protection of Indonesian nationals’ legal status and rights abroad.