Attractive benefits lured Goans to UK

With Britain’s impending exit from European Union, thousands of our fellow Goans, living in UK with a Portuguese passport, will, sadly, be deprived of most benefits made available to them, thus defeating the very purpose of their stay there, if at all they are allowed to remain.

 Though not many acknowledge it publicly, the fact remains that what prompted Britons to vote for the exit is that immigration from other countries, particularly East Europe and former Portuguese colonies, besides Goa, was putting a tremendous burden not only on the infrastructure but also on the finances of the country. If want of well paid jobs in India, motivated people to migrate to UK, this country’s generous doles available per child plus subsidized accommodation as well as pension of Pds 150 per week per person or 200 per couple to people of pensionary age made the proposition extremely attractive. Further, the employer was bound to pay minimum wage only to his employee. But, if the employee’s family lived with him, the Government would top it up. 

Needless to say, these benefits were misused by many, as lack of manpower precluded proper check of whether pensioners and employees’ families really lived in UK or had gone back to their country after claiming these benefits on regular basis. Though this left Britons fuming, is there any wonder that Goans left for UK in hordes? Philip Hollobone, Tory MP, referring to Goans migrating to UK in thousands had called it “an outrageous loophole that must be closed. This is yet another case of issuing of passports by an EU country to people who have no intention of going to that country, but head straight to Britain. If we left the EU, we could introduce border controls that would prevent these people from coming in” he had said. It must be noted that while the British have contributed towards their own social security benefits, the immigrants were eventually getting these benefits without any contribution of their own. This was certainly unfair to the locals. 

A similar situation arises in Goa, where facilities at the GMC and perhaps certain doles are available to people who do not actually reside in Goa, all, at the cost of Goan taxpayer. Surely many of these are also on the voters’ list, courtesy unscrupulous politicians and spineless and crawling bureaucrats.  

Goans had migration to India, Pakistan, British East Africa and other Portuguese colonies during the Portuguese regime, as there were rather few job opportunities here. However, despite families being large, the cost of living was somewhat manageable. No exodus was witnessed unlike what is happening now with some villages like Agacaim, Siridao and Goa Velha, nearly empty. In good many cases, people sold their houses, surely not imagining that their stay in UK could be short lived. Most of our youth who left their beloved Goa, did so not of their own will but compelled by dire need of supporting their families, in absence of good job or business opportunities in Goa or even elsewhere in India. But this Government is trying to hit them hard, when it did and does nothing to get them jobs. What does it expect them to do? Starve to death? Their departure though sad for us, true Goans, but not for this insensitive Government, will at least help bring down its shameful statistics of unemployment. 

The Prime Minister, who rightly promotes “Make in India” is surely aware that even qualified people are leaving the country disgusted with the happenings here. If he is sincere in his quest to lift India, he should take up the challenge to ask NRIs to return to India and watch whether there is a single one who heeds to his call. Did he venture doing that during his umpteen trips abroad? Does it not hurt his patriotism or his pride, as an Indian, that millions of Indians are compelled to earn their bread abroad with most having given up their Indian citizenship?   

It pains us to say but the truth is that while many Goans left out of need, a sizeable number did it out of greed. Many had reasonable jobs and business here and yet left in search of “greener pastures”. One is a king in one’s own land and the love for our land should not be lost in the lure of “a little extra”. True, people are also leaving out of sheer disgust, frustration and utter helplessness in improving things in this State. Surely “Liberation” did not mean only freedom to bark and scribble, while the Government itself subverts and fails to enforce laws, indulges in illegalities and rides roughshod over the wishes and interests of the people. 

We have a CM who defends reinstatement of his brother-in-law caught red-handed accepting bribe, while he transfers two upright Police officials for their involvement in nabbing the culprit. And he shamelessly says that the culprit being his wife’s brother is not directly related to him. Perhaps he may stretch a little further and say that his wife too is not directly related to him. And yet, the BJP has the gumption to say that there are no cases of corruption in their Governments. Is the PM aware of this or do we need to bring this to his notice? Have our rulers lost all sense of shame and dignity? 

Goans need to be alert. Don’t be surprised if the law regularizing illegal houses and encroachments is soon followed by another allowing non-Goans to occupy vacant or rented houses of NRIs. The imbecility of this Government has no bounds!  It needs to go at the earliest… 

(The author is a retired banker)