PANAJI: The ministry of external affairs (
MEA
) on Friday said that over 2,000
Goans
have approached the regional passport office (RPO), here, to surrender their passports after opting for
Portuguese nationality
in the last three years. During the same period, 114 passports have been revoked.
South Goa Congress MP Francisco Sardinha had asked the MEA in the Lok Sabha whether the ministry has data on number of Goans and others who have had their passports revoked due to possession of Bilhete de Identidade (BI) of Portugal, which they have changed to Cartao de Cidadao and if so, the details thereof during the last three years.
Sardinha asked the MEA whether the matter has been raised with the Portuguese government regarding the legal issues faced by persons in India due to BI registration by them and the steps taken by the government to resolve the issue and provide a well-defined policy framework in this regard.
Responding to the question, MEA said, "There is a well-defined law in place in terms of the Passports Act, 1967, and the Citizenship Act, 1955, to regulate such cases."
Portugal offers its citizenship to anyone who was a Portuguese citizen in Goa prior to 1961, and two generations of their descendants. Thousands of Goans have taken advantage of this provision and secured the Portuguese passport, which enables them to work anywhere in the European Union. As per the Henley Passport Index for 2023, the Portuguese passport is the world's fifth-most powerful passport (India is ranked 83rd).
The citizenship issue revolves around the question whether a Goan who has registered their birth in Portugal ceases to be an Indian citizen. As per Portuguese law, once a person's birth is registered in Lisbon, he or she becomes a Portuguese citizen (irrespective of whether the person has a Portuguese passport). But as per Indian law, specifically Section 9(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, any Indian national who voluntarily acquires citizenship of another country ceases to be a citizen of India.
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