From time to time in Australia, immigration anxiety flares and political fuses are lit. That fuse is being lit again. These debates are loud, emotive and familiar. Amid the noise, we risk losing sight of the long-term strategic and economic relationships that will shape Australia’s future. One of those that matters a lot is Indonesia. On that front, we are simply not doing enough.
Australia often talks up the importance of its relationship with Indonesia, but on the practical foundations of that relationship we are going backwards. Support for Indonesian language education has been eroded, and visa settings can make even routine family visits slow and uncertain. With Indonesia widely projected to become one of the world’s largest economies by mid-century, rhetoric has to be accompanied by the patient work of building people-to-people links.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to make Indonesia his first bilateral visit in 2022 and again in 2025 was a strong symbol. The relationship now needs to be strengthened at a far more foundational level.
Fewer Australians are learning Indonesian now than in the 1970s, even as Indonesia’s importance grows. Some argue this does not matter because English is widely spoken in Indonesia. That misses the point. Speaking someone’s language is a mark of respect, and respect is the foundation of trust.
It should not be easier for Australians to enter Indonesia — which they can do with a simple visa on arrival — than it is for Indonesians to visit Australia for a family catch-up. If we fail to inject greater mutual respect into the tourist visa system, and fail to rebuild education pathways for those who want to learn the language and culture of our closest neighbour, we will forfeit economic gains and miss the chance to build deeper ties. That would be a failure of both policy and imagination.
Originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 3 February 2026.
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