Coronavirus leaves Indonesia’s mixed couples in limbo, separated for months by closed borders
- In April, the Indonesian government barred foreign visitors from entering the country, leaving some expatriates with Indonesian families stranded
- Exceptions have been granted for investors and the government has promoted domestic tourism but there are no provisions to reunite families
She has spent hours calling Indonesian immigration hotlines and emailing government departments to plead for updates on the country’s coronavirus restrictions or the possibility of an exception.
“Being pregnant is already an overwhelming experience and doing it alone means we are missing out on experiencing lots of first-time moments together,” says Putri, a 30-year-old former TV presenter. “Although we can talk on video calls and chats, it’s just not the same.”
The government does not collect official statistics on mixed-nationality families but the Indonesian Mixed-Marriage Society says it has 2,000 members, mostly Indonesian women with foreign spouses.
Juliani Luthan, the society’s chairwoman, said the organisation has filed a formal appeal to the Immigration Department.