Panaji, July 17 – Nearly 26,000 Goans have surrendered their Indian passports over the past decade, as revealed in a report from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) presented to the state legislative Assembly.
Responding to a query from Congress MLA Yuri Alemao about the surrender of Indian passports by Goans, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the Home Department portfolio, stated that 25,939 individuals surrendered their Indian passports between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2024.
According to FRRO data, 25,939 individuals applied for new visa/exit permits after surrendering their Indian passports during this period. In 2014, 2,037 people applied for new visa/exit services upon surrendering their passports. This number peaked at 4,121 in 2016 before declining to 3,623 in 2017 and further to 2,958 in 2019. The number dropped significantly to 954 in 2021 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions but increased to 2,094 in 2023.
An official, who requested anonymity, noted that the majority of Goans who surrendered their Indian passports acquired Portuguese nationality. Portugal offers those born in Goa before December 19, 1961 – the date of Goa’s liberation from Portuguese rule – and their descendants the option to register as Portuguese citizens. A Portuguese passport provides visa-free entry to several countries, including the UK and the EU, prompting many Goans to register their births in Lisbon to obtain Portuguese citizenship for better employment and educational opportunities abroad.
A report by The Indian Express last year highlighted that between 2011 and 2022, over 69,303 Indians surrendered their passports nationwide, with Goa accounting for the highest percentage at over 40% of the total surrendered passports.
Recently, many Goans faced difficulties after their passports were revoked following a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) memorandum dated November 30, 2022. The memorandum instructed authorities to revoke, rather than issue a surrender certificate, for those who acquired Portuguese nationality. Since a surrender certificate is mandatory for obtaining an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, the revocation rendered many Goans ineligible for OCI.
Last month, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that a passport revocation order could serve as an alternative document for granting visa or exit permission on a valid Portuguese passport or OCI card, providing relief to people from former Portuguese territories in India (Goa, Daman, and Diu) whose Indian passports were revoked.
Tags: Goa, Panaji, Pramod Sawant, FRRO, Indian Passports, Portuguese Nationality
Categories: Goa News, Political News