Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: For Goans whose passports are revoked because of births registered in Portugal, the Goa government has urged the Centre to issue “surrender certificates” rather than “revocation certificates” so they can apply for OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) status.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made it clear during his meeting with the Union Ministry for External Affairs that a Goan’s registration of birth in Portugal does not equate to obtaining Portuguese citizenship.
In addition to the difficulty of obtaining a visa, Goans whose passports have been revoked face uncertainty in obtaining OCI status. Sawant stated that since Union Minister for External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar is currently outside of India, the matter will be settled when he returns and that the Center will also provide a formal explanation regarding the Portuguese issue.
When Sawant visited Delhi last week, he spoke with Union Minister for State Meenakshi Lekhi about the problems Goans were having getting OCI cards and the cancellation of their passports after obtaining Portuguese citizenship.
The State is requesting that the Union ministry make sure that Goans whose passports are revoked receive surrender certificates rather than revocation certificates. The revocation certificate is making it difficult to issue OCI cards to people whose passports have been revoked. Furthermore, their children are not eligible for benefits like renewals, according to Sawant.
Ninety percent of the issue will be resolved if the surrender certificate is granted, he continued. Those whose passports have been revoked are not currently eligible to receive OCI cards.
In accordance with the current circular dated November 30, 2022, individuals who are foreign nationals and try to renew their Indian passport risk having their passports revoked in accordance with Section 10 (3) (b) of the Passport Act of 1967.
Many applicants who went to the passport office to renew their passports after the circular were made aware of the consequences and discovered that their passports had been revoked, with the RPO providing them with a “revocation certificate” rather than a “surrender certificate.” Approximately 114 passports have been cancelled thus far.