166 foreign nationals in the country last week received their dual and naturalized citizenships, while nearly 30,000 Papua New Guinean-born people living in Australia remain largely unable to fully use their skills, capital and business experience for development back home.
These diaspora families are still struggling to gain dual citizenship for both countries.
They have started the journey. They have engaged themselves in high-level consultations in line with policy statements by Prime Minister James Marape and his government.
The Papua New Guinea Diaspora Business Council of Australia (PNGDBCA) is advocating for clearer and more accessible dual citizenship pathways to enable PNG-born business owners living abroad to bring their skills, experience and investment back to Papua New Guinea.
In February 2026, the PNGDBCA, Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) and Business Council of Papua New Guinea (BCPNG) supported a PNG-Australia diaspora trade and investment delegation to attend the 16th Prime Minister’s Back-to-Business Breakfast in Port Moresby.
The delegation met with government agencies and Chief Secretary to Government Ivan Pomaleu to discuss challenges faced by applicants seeking dual citizenship while retaining their Australian citizenship.
The event provided government regulators and diaspora business owners an opportunity to engage directly and explore how the diaspora can participate in PNG’s development agenda.
BCPNG President Susil Nelson-Kongoi emphasized the importance of the PNGDBCA as a platform for trade, skills transfer and service development.
During the PNGDBCA’s engagement with Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso in June 2026, PNGDBCA Deputy Lead of Public Relations Susanne Jolie spoke about the challenges associated with obtaining dual citizenship.
She said the eligibility requirements had limited her ability to establish a long-term presence in Papua New Guinea and apply her Australian steel manufacturing experience to business development in Port Moresby.
“Our advocacy is not simply about seeking dual citizenship. It is about what dual citizenship can unlock for Papua New Guinea’s economy.”
“The Government has set important goals under the Medium-Term Development Plan IV, and the diaspora can help achieve these goals through trade and investment, as well as through our resources, knowledge and capital.”
“Members of our business diaspora already have experience across agriculture, construction, manufacturing, retail, importing, exporting and other industries,” Ms. Jolie said in a statement.
In oral submissions to the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship Matters on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, PNGDBCA Vice-President Jason Cherrett described the PNG diaspora as an asset to the nation.
He said Council members were experienced business operators with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to PNG’s development priorities and national goals.
During the hearing, Oro Governor Garry Juffa requested information from government agencies about their roles in screening people entering the country and the frameworks used to assess whether applicants were genuinely interested in contributing to PNG’s economy.
He requested that these matters be addressed in the agencies’ formal submissions and reports.
At the Business Advantage PNG Investment Conference in Brisbane on Monday, August 10, 2026, PM James Marape urged Australian investors to act on opportunities in Papua New Guinea.
PM Marape highlighted that investment opportunities were not limited to the mining, petroleum and gas sectors, saying agriculture, manufacturing, construction, tourism, information and communications technology, artificial intelligence and energy also offered significant potential.
“We are starting to see the diversification focus coming to fruition,” PM Marape said.
“If you’re already in PNG, get entrenched and if you’re wanting to come, come now. The next 10-year window might close on you,” he said.
Papua New Guinea has access to an international network of skills, knowledge and enterprise through its diaspora in Australia.
Many members of the diaspora want to return, invest and contribute to PNG.
According to the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, 29,984 people living in Australia were born in Papua New Guinea.
The figure refers to people born in PNG and does not include the broader Australian population of PNG heritage. (Australian Bureau of Statistics).
This community represents an important source of knowledge, investment and commercial experience.
Many have a vested interest in contributing to PNG, while diaspora business owners in Australia can transfer skills and experience, expand business operations and help strengthen PNG’s economy.
Ms. Jolie’s connection with her homeland is also personal. Her parents left Papua New Guinea more than 40 years ago when she was young.
“For me, PNG’s Reset at 50 is more than an economic slogan. It represents reconnection with my country of birth and my family, as well as an opportunity to give back by sharing my international business experience,” she said.
PNGDBCA members say they are ready to contribute, invest and give back.
Clearer and more accessible dual citizenship pathways could help open that door.