PANAJI
The Goa government has urged the Centre to issue 'surrender certificates' instead of 'revocation certificates' to Goans whose passports are revoked due to births registered in Portugal, allowing them to obtain OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) status. In his meeting with the Union Ministry for External Affairs, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant categorically stated that mere registration of birth by a Goan in Portugal does not amount to acquiring Portuguese citizenship.
Those Goans, whose passports have been revoked, face uncertainty of obtaining OCI status coupled with visa complications. Sawant said that with Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar being out of India, the issue would be resolved once he is back, wherein Centre will also issue a written clarification on the issue of Portuguese citizenship.
Sawant, who was in Delhi last week, met Union Minister for State Meenakshi Lekhi on the issue of revocation of passports of Goans acquiring Portuguese citizenship and difficulties faced by them in obtaining OCI cards.
“The State is asking the Union ministry to ensure that Surrender Certificates are issued to those Goans, whose passports are revoked instead of revocation certificates. The revocation certificate is creating problems in granting OCI cards to those who have had their passports revoked. Also their kids are unable to get the benefits like renewals,” Sawant said.
“If the surrender certificate is issued, then 90 per cent of the problem will be solved,” he added. Currently, OCI cards are not granted to those who have had their passports revoked as the cancelled passport/surrender certificate was a requirement for the card.
Chief minister explained that the current issue is governed by the Passports Act 1967 and the Citizenship Act 1955. “We have made our stand very clear before the Ministry that mere registration of birth in Lisbon, Portugal does not amount to acquiring Portuguese citizenship,” Sawant said adding “this is clearly specified in the Indian Citizenship Act and hence a written clarification in this regard has also been sought from the Ministry”.
Sawant pointed out that there are those who have registered their birth in Lisbon but never obtained a Portuguese passport or have obtained it but never visited the country; all this was done to benefit their second and third generation.
As per the existing circular dated November 30, 2022, those persons holding foreign nationality and attempting to renew their Indian passport will face revocation of their passports under Section 10 (3) (b) of the Passport Act of 1967.
Since the circular, several applicants who visited the passport office for renewal, unaware of the consequences, found their passports revoked with the RPO issuing them a ‘revocation certificate’ instead of a ‘surrender certificate.’ So far, around 114 passports have been revoked.
