In a big relief for Goans with Portuguese citizenship seeking Overseas Citizenship India (OCI) cards, the Union government has decided to consider a passport ‘revocation order’ as an alternative document in lieu of a ‘surrender certificate’, “provided the person concerned certifies that they have not obtained the Portuguese passport fraudulently”.
According to a Times of India report, the government on Tuesday cleared the confusion over a revocation order issued by the regional passport officer to Goans who acquired Portuguese nationality to obtain their OCI cards.
The decision is likely to bring relief to numerous Goans who previously faced denial of their OCI card due to the revocation of their Indian passport.
According to the report, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had initially issued an office memorandum on 4 April, indicating acceptance of a ‘revocation order’ as a valid document for the OCI card. However, a subsequent corrigendum on 30 April stated that the memorandum was “under consideration” by the MHA, leading to uncertainty among Goans whose Indian passports had been revoked.
Opposition parties swiftly responded to the 30 April corrigendum, asserting that it exposed the BJP’s rhetoric, as the MEA appeared to retract its earlier memorandum, causing confusion regarding OCI registration.
“The problems faced by Indian nationals hailing from Goa, Daman, and Diu who have acquired Portuguese nationality as per Portuguese nationality law, for obtaining Indian visa/exit permission or OCI card, have been considered by the MHA,” ToI report quoted the ministry as saying in a statement issued on Tuesday.
In a previous memorandum dated November 30, 2022, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that a passport issuing authority, upon receiving an application for a surrender certificate in lieu of an Indian passport, has the authority to revoke the passport if it was acquired by withholding crucial information regarding the applicant’s acquisition of foreign nationality.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had appealed to the Union government to provide amnesty to Goans seeking to relinquish their Portuguese identity cards in order to maintain their Indian citizenship.
Sawant conveyed to the Union Home Ministry that the decision to revoke passports had been received poorly by the affected populace, fearing adverse effects on their means of living.
Highlighting that over 40,000 Goans had registered their births in Lisbon, Sawant emphasized the significance of the issue.
“The sole intention of these people was to secure a chance of getting their children Portuguese passports and the benefits that come with it,” he had said.
With inputs from agencies
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Relief for Goans with Portuguese citizenship seeking OCI cards
