GFP writes to PM, seeks dual citizenship for Goans

Panaji: GFP president Vijai Sardesai wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing for intervention to stop what he termed the “humiliation and harassment” of Goans who are being stripped of their Indian passports.

In a letter marked “most urgent”, Sardesai said there is a “painful contradiction” between the PM’s Republic Day acknowledgement of Portugal PM Antonio Costa’s Goan roots and the treatment of Goans who registered their birth in Portugal, who are treated as “suspects” rather than citizens.


“Goans who went abroad did not leave India out of disloyalty or greed. They left because the state and nation failed to give them opportunities to earn a dignified livelihood at home,” Sardesai said, noting that their families, homes, and emotional roots remain firmly anchored in Goa.

The party chief described how elderly parents fear losing their children’s citizenship, while families live in constant anxiety.

“If India can confidently engage Europe as a trusted global partner, surely India must also have the confidence to trust its own people. Citizenship should not become a weapon of fear against communities shaped by history,” he said.

Sardesai urged the PM to ensure a “compassionate, permanent solution” through dual citizenship, allowing Goans to avoid choosing “between survival and belonging, between livelihood and nationhood.”