Relief for Goans with Portuguese citizenship seeking OCI cards
- In a big relief for Goans with Portuguese citizenship seeking Overseas Citizenship India (OCI) cards, the Union government has decided to consider a passport ‘revocation order
- as an alternative document in lieu of a ‘surrender certificate’, “provided the person concerned certifies that they have not obtained the Portuguese passport fraudulently”.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The decision is likely to bring relief to numerous Goans who previously faced denial of their OCI card due to the revocation of their Indian passport.
- “The problems faced by Indian nationals hailing from Goa, Daman, and Diu who have acquired Portuguese nationality as per Portuguese nationality law, for obtaining Indian visa/exit permission or OCI card, have been considered by the MHA
- Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had appealed to the Union government to provide amnesty to Goans seeking to relinquish their Portuguese identity cards in order to maintain their Indian citizenship.
- Highlighting that over 40,000 Goans had registered their births in Lisbon, Sawant emphasized the significance of the issue.
- The sole intention of these people was to secure a chance of getting their children Portuguese passports and the benefits that come with it
PRELIMS TAKEAWAY
- OCI
- NRI