Allow dual citizenship for Goans who face problems regarding birth registration in Portugal: Ferreira

Allow dual citizenship for Goans who face problems regarding birth registration in Portugal: Ferreira
Panaji: Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira on Friday urged the House to request the Union government to permit dual citizenship for Goans who are facing issues regarding Portuguese nationality.
Moving a Private Member’s Resolution during the ongoing session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ferreira also called for permitting those people who are facing this issue to cancel their Indian passports and obtain OCI cards.
“Due to the circumstances by which Goa, Daman & Diu came to be liberated from Portugal and the consequent conferment of Indian citizenship on those erstwhile Portuguese nationals, the Government of India be requested to permit dual citizenship to those covered by the Goa, Daman & Diu Citizenship Order and who have since registered their births in Portugal by virtue of the Portuguese Nationality Law as in force and until such time, those who were under such belief that they had not acquired foreign citizenship by mere registration of their births in Portugal, be permitted to cancel their Indian passports and obtain OCI cards,” stated the resolution.
“When Goa became a part of India, by virtue of the citizenship order, people were conferred with the Indian citizenship. While they were still Portuguese citizens. they didn’t voluntarily become citizens of Portugal. When they were registering their births, which was allowed by Portugal, many people got a Portuguese identity card. People believed that by doing this, there was no citizenship conferred,” he said.
A communication by Dr Wilfred Misquita then NRI Commissioner of Goa in 2014 had stated that registration of birth in Portugal is merely the beginning of a process to obtain Portuguese citizenship, and the registration of birth gives no right for applicants to be a Portuguese citizen, Ferreira pointed out.
“Many people have taken time to obtain the Portuguese citizenship document and passport. People who are going to surrender their Indian passports are now faced with a peculiar situation. They can’t cancel their Indian passport on obtaining the Portuguese passport as it is being revoked. They cannot get a OCI card and face visa complications,” he said.
“Many of them have not made any documents. Many of them have not even moved out of Goa, especially old people who have registered their births in Portugal for the benefit of their children who subsequently moved out of Goa. These elderly people have not obtained the Portuguese passport. Many people had no intention of settling out of India,” he added.
“People are confused with many official orders regarding this issue. Some people have applied or surrendered their Indian passports beyond the 3 years of acquiring foreign citizenship. They are facing problems now. We need to help them. The Indian diaspora is demanding dual citizenship. The Singhvi report is also in favour of it. There is a need to look at this issue leniently,” he said.