To London via Lisbon? Goans may need rethink

The Brexit vote has put Goans who opt for Portuguese citizenship, which allows them to enjoy the benefits of an EU member state, in a quandary.

Children of those born before Goa’s liberation from the Portuguese in 1961 and whose parents’ birth is registered in Portugal are eligible to register their births in that country and obtain citizenship, or a ‘ bilhete de identidade ’, considered as good as a citizenship. But with Britain voting to walk away from the EU, the benefits of taking a Portuguese citizenship could come under a review. In the build-up to Brexit, though, those apprehensions weren’t quite visible in the numbers.

Portugal continued to issue nearly 40-50 passports a day to Goans, according to data available with Goa police, the Goa passport office and the office of the Portuguese consul general. But various stakeholders said they are keeping a close watch on the numbers.

While the number of pending applications for Portuguese passports is not available, sources said the registration process was an ongoing one and Brexit would not affect it.


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