PANAJI
In a major reprieve for Goans with Portuguese nationality, many of who had their Indian passports 'revoked' following a 2022 MEA circular, the Centre has acceded to the Goa government's request and made them eligible to acquire Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status.
The revised circular was issued by the MEA on April 4, in which it states, "MHA has now decided to accept "Revocation Certificate" as an alternative document in lieu of Surrender Certificate in case of Indian Nationals hailing from erstwhile Portuguese territories in India (Goa, Daman & Diu) who have acquired Portuguese nationality as per Portuguese Nationality Law, and who have been issued "Revocation Order" by the RPOs instead of Surrender Certificate."
The development clears the decks for several hundred Goans with Portuguese citizenship to regain their OCI status. They had earlier lost the right after Regional Passport Officers (RPOs) had invoked the 2022 MEA circular and 'revoked' their passports.
With the 2022 circular, the MEA had issued instructions to passport authorities across India to mandatorily issue a "revocation order" for passports of such individuals who held two passports, instead of the earlier 'surrender certificate'.
The RPO in Goa, Nijo Varghese, has confirmed the latest MEA circular.
The Goan in November last year had broken the story of the 2022 MEA circular, on the basis of which RPOs had issued "revocation orders" instead of 'surrender certificates' to hundreds of Goans who had acquired Portuguese Nationality, rendering them ineligible for the OCI status.
The explanation of the MEA for that drastic action was that the Constitution of India does not allow holding Indian citizenship and citizenship of a foreign country simultaneously.
However, Indian origin foreign nationals acquire OCI status which though not a full-fledged citizenship of India, it does give them rights except political rights and other restrictions such as acquisition of agricultural property. It also authorises them to live and work in India.
Earlier this month, two Goans had filed petitions before the Bombay High Court at Goa challenging the revocation of their Indian passports by the the regional passport office in Panaji.
Through these petitions, they had denied suppressing any material information and claim that they had renewed their Indian passports after transcribing their births in Portugal which is only a prelude to apply for Portuguese nationality.
Now with the new MEA circular, the proceedings of these petitions and their purpose could take a new turn.
