PANAJI
The voter rolls of the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa reveal a striking statistic -- 15,655 registered electors under its jurisdiction spanning Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Maharashtra.
In contrast, just 349 voters are enrolled with the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi, which covers the rest of the country.
The wide gap emphasizes the enduring legacy of Portugal’s colonial presence on India’s west coast. Official sources confirmed to The Goan that the bulk of registered Portuguese voters are believed to be from Goa and other former Portuguese territories, where eligible residents have, over the years, secured Portuguese citizenship by registering their births in Lisbon and obtaining the ‘assento de nascimento’.
“It is an established fact that there are several Goans who have obtained Portuguese citizenship and surrendered their Indian citizenship, obtaining Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to facilitate their stay in Goa. A large number of these have migrated abroad, which signifies that those registered at the Consulate General in Goa as electors are all residents of Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Maharashtra,” the source revealed.
The official, closely linked with the Embassies, further stated that since Portuguese citizenship is obtained by registering one's birth at the Central Registry in Lisbon, this could signify that a majority of these are Goans who have obtained the 'assento de nascimento' that certifies the registration of their birth in Portugal and have not necessarily surrendered their Indian nationality.
With registered Portuguese citizens providing a new dimension to the ongoing debate on dual nationality, The Goan attempted to contact officials at the Goa consulate, but they were unavailable for comment. Responses to emailed queries are awaited.
As per the official data, around 30,000 people in Goa have surrendered their Indian passports since 2014 after acquiring Portuguese nationality. These cases are now being scrutinised as part of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, a process that has lent fresh urgency to the debate over dual nationality and voting rights.
Yet the pace of passport surrenders has slowed markedly. In 2022, 1,265 people gave up their Indian passports, compared with 2,835 in 2021 and between 3,500 and 4,100 annually from 2015 to 2019. Officials at the Regional Passport Office have said that applications continue, but without the earlier rush, averaging 10 to 12 a day.
