PANAJI
Around 200 applicants seeking surrender certificates had their passports revoked over the past 17 months as they held Portuguese citizenship. The same period also saw over 1,000 applicants issued surrender certificates amidst the November 30, 2022 circular, with officials citing their compliance with central guidelines.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not answered to a crucial situation wherein numerous Goans have registered their births in Portugal for the benefit of their offspring, and do not intend to get either Portuguese passport or OCI status.
The Goan reached out to RPO Nijo Varghese, who only confirmed that around 200 Goan applicants had their passports revoked following the implementation of the circular issued on November 30, 2022.
These applicants are likely eligible to approach the FRRO for OCI cards. Nonetheless, FRRO sources informed The Goan that they have yet to receive the MHA order referenced in the Office Memorandum (OM). "Implementation is uncertain until the order reaches our office," a source stated.
A senior State government bureaucrat, reacting to the issue of Goans registered in Portugal but with no intention of leaving Goa, stated that they must await clarity from the MEA and/or MHA.
“The OM does not address such citizens, therefore Passport Offices or law enforcement agencies will not pursue them unless these citizens seek passport renewal or other services from the concerned authorities. We await clarification from the Central authorities,” the bureaucrat explained.
The MEA in December 2023 disclosed that 114 Goans had their Indian citizenship revoked in the last three years. This indicates that even prior to the circular's enforcement, the Central government had initiated measures against citizens violating the Passports Act and Citizenship Act.
In the same period, over 2,000 applications were received by the Regional Passport Office for the surrender of Indian passports.
MEA Minister V Muraleedharan had cited the presence of well-defined laws such as the Passports Act of 1967 and the Citizenship Act of 1955 to regulate such cases.
MEA officials had clarified that many applicants might have been misled by agents or had inadvertently continued with their foreign nationality status, or had exploited possible loopholes in the law, which resulted in the revocation of their Indian passports after the Circular.
However, applicants who adhered to the law had their applications for the surrender of Indian passports accepted by the RPO.
