A gaggle of individuals calling themselves “Goans for Goa” met with the commissioner of NRI affairs on Monday and urged the federal government to provide these whose passports have been revoked, a grace interval to use for an OCI card.

According to Portuguese legislation, these born in Goa earlier than December 19, 1961 (the day Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule) and two subsequent generations have the choice of registering as Portuguese residents.

For the previous few many years, numerous Goans have been making use of for Portuguese citizenship and transcribing their births within the Central Registry in Lisbon with a purpose to profit from the visa-free journey and job alternatives that include holding a Portuguese passport, which incorporates the UK and the EU. Dual citizenship isn’t permitted for folks of Indian origin below the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955.

Prior to the MEA round of November 2022, the passport workplace issued a penalty when somebody surrendered their Indian passport and issued a give up certificates, permitting the person to use for OCI standing, mentioned Kennedy Afonso, convener of Goans for Goa.

According to Afonso, passports have been being revoked following the round. This round was not printed in any public area or public gazette, he mentioned.

He additional claimed that there was no grace interval for folks to show of their passports. Because of this abrupt motion, Goans are unsure that their passports shall be revoked and that they might want to apply for visas with a purpose to stay of their nation of origin, he added.

He additionally questioned the rationale behind depriving people of the chance to use for OCI. He asserted that the origin of delivery can’t be revoked, however passports can.

According to Afonso, the vast majority of Goans apply for Portuguese citizenship merely as a result of it’s an possibility, somewhat than the OCI card. “If OCI option was not there, most would not have applied for Portuguese citizenship. Our families reside in Goa. The ancestral assets and properties that we hold, which we have inherited from our forefathers and which our children are going to inherit, are in Goa,” he added.

“How can thousands of people in Goa who have only registered their births in Portugal be considered Portuguese citizens?” he continued. Everyone who had their passports revoked be given a short lived give up certificates, he mentioned.

According to officers, the MEA round was issued in response to a June 2020 ruling by the Kerala High Court, which determined that the passport authorities might solely pursue authorized motion somewhat than levy penalties for violating The Passports Act 1967.

Sadanand Shet Tanavde, the Rajya Sabha MP and president of the Goa BJP, introduced up this problem in Parliament final week, asking the MEA to reevaluate the choice to revoke Indian passports because of the people’ Portuguese delivery registrations.

Tanadave mentioned, “The basis of this revocation by the RPO in Goa is the birth registration in Portugal… considered as effective date of acquiring citizenship. I propose that the Ministry allow the renewal of Indian passports for these individuals until they acquire the official citizenship document from the Portuguese government.”

According to Tanavade, this step is important to permit them to journey and assure their security all through the “transition period” whereas their Portuguese passports are being processed.

Commissioner for NRI Affairs Narendra Sawaikar said that the problem shall be taken up with the federal government. For these whose passports have been revoked, it might be splendid to offer some momentary reduction within the type of OCI playing cards, he added.