PANJIM: Politicians cutting across party lines on Wednesday welcomed the Union government’s decision to allow those who have acquired Portuguese nationality to apply for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card based on passport revocation certificates, even as Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira cautioned that there were several issues still to be sorted out, which continue to trouble persons of Goan origin especially abroad.
Adv Ferreira cited the case of a minor child living in the UK, who he said, had been issued a show-cause notice by the Indian High Commissioner in the UK for “contravention of rules” and was threatened with action for having obtained Indian passport after registration of birth in Portugal.
“In this particular case, the person was a minor in 2015. In March 2015, this person obtained an Indian passport. In September 2015, the person still being a minor, Portuguese registration was done. After that, the Indian passport was renewed in 2020. In December 2023, the minor child got a Portuguese passport. The child was to become major of age on January 24, 2024. Before becoming a major of age, this child applied for an OCI card. On January 6, 2024, the application was made, an appointment was given, which this person was given on January 11, 2024 and the entire process was done before the child attained majority, Adv Carlos said.
But in May this year, he was sent an intimation in the form of a show cause notice, saying that he had registered his birth and acquired foreign citizenship and after that he had renewed his passport which was a contravention of rules asking him why action should not be taken against them, he explained.
“In the missions abroad, whether embassies or high commissions, after you have surrendered your passport, because you have registered your birth, they are insisting on a renunciation certificate. Which means this is creating confusion,” he said.
“It is an ambiguous situation which the central government is putting in place. In India, you are saying that when a person has registered a birth in Portugal you have become a citizen of Portugal. In Goa, you are troubling people saying you have registered your birth and therefore you became a citizen of Portugal, in that year of registration. The Union government is playing the game of surrender and revocation. Now when it comes to international places, it is asking, “Where is your renunciation certificate?,” he added.
Adv Ferreira said, he had drafted a reply to the show cause notice on behalf of the minor, quoting the case of former Benaulim MLA Caetano Silva, who registered his birth and got Portuguese passport but whom the Government of India held that he was still an Indian citizen.
“I have also quoted the case of Adv Aires Rodrigues, where he had registered his birth and obtained a Portuguese passport and he didn’t renounce his Indian citizenship but they said he was a Portuguese citizen,” he said.
The Aldona MLA called for one-time amnesty scheme to be rolled out for those who registered their births in Portugal but haven’t done much else and who continue to live in India.
Law Minister Aleixo Sequeira said, “I would like to congratulate Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who took personal interest in resolving this issue regarding Portuguese passports and OCI cards. I was present when the Chief Minister took up the issue in Delhi. He had a personal meeting with the Minister of State for External Affairs. He also called on Home Minister Amit Shah and got the issue regarding surrender and revocation of the Indian passport by the holders of Portuguese passport holders.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said, “The intent of the government was very clear. The first decision that was taken by the Central government was of the OCI. I am happy and congratulate both, Centre and State government for taking up the issue. There had been lot of Curtorim people who had faced issues. I know people who could not travel. They wanted to go for a job. Now the issue had been solved. I have really appreciated services of the government.”