In the past decade, nearly 26,000 Goans have given up their Indian passports and applied for new visas or exit permits, as stated by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. This information was provided in a written reply to the state assembly on Tuesday, in response to a question from Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao during the monsoon session.
According to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), 25,939 people in Goa surrendered their Indian passports between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2024. In 2014, 2,037 individuals applied for new visas or exit services after giving up their Indian passports. This number increased to 4,121 in 2016, then decreased to 3,623 in 2017 and 2,958 in 2019. In 2021, the number dropped further to 954, but it rose again to 2,094 in 2023.
This situation arises amid the Union government’s clarification on a revocation order issued by the regional passport officer to Goans who have acquired Portuguese nationality and seek Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards.
Portugal offers citizenship to anyone who was a Portuguese citizen in Goa before 1961 and their descendants for two generations. Many Goans have taken advantage of this provision to secure Portuguese passports, which allow them to work anywhere in the European Union. According to the Henley Passport Index for 2023, the Portuguese passport is the fifth most powerful in the world.
The citizenship issue hinges on whether a Goan who registers their birth in Portugal loses their Indian citizenship. Under Portuguese law, registering a birth in Lisbon makes one a Portuguese citizen, regardless of whether they have a Portuguese passport. However, under Indian law, specifically Section 9(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, any Indian national who voluntarily acquires citizenship of another country ceases to be an Indian citizen.
