It is said that the Portuguese rulers had conferred the Portuguese nationality on the Goans born in Goa prior to December 1961, and their children and grandchildren. That means every Goan born in the state of Goa prior to December 1961 becomes a citizen of Portugal by birthright, and the same is applicable for their children and grandchildren, but despite that, the issue of Portuguese nationality remains a major subject of controversy. This article is not about the controversy, but the people of Goa and their juggle with the Portuguese nationality.
The Portuguese citizenship for Goans has proved to be a boon. With lack of job opportunities in Goa, young Goans have resorted to moving to the United Kingdom to make a living with the help of Portuguese citizenship.
Thousands of Goans have settled aboard and contributed a huge share of their income to the Goa’s economy. Many opt to work in a hotel, airports, cleaning or driving. London especially has a lot of job opportunities available.
The provision of Portuguese law allows those born before Goa’s liberation in December 1961 and two generations to opt for Portuguese nationality. As Portuguese citizens, they are EU passport holders and thus eligible to move, live and work across the European countries. Thousands of Goans move to the UK after acquiring Portuguese citizenship, settling mainly in London, Swindon, and Leicester.
The Goa government keeps talking about the people leaving the state and migrating abroad but does not make any efforts to generate the employment in the state. Why someone will leave the opportunity and stay back in the state when there are no future prospects available here?
In recent years, there have been rumors of policy changes. Portugal, like the UK, accepts dual citizenship, but India does not. So the issue has assumed a complex legal and political challenge with some cases undergoing.
According to Hindustan Times, there has been a case in 2017, of Portuguese nationality fraud where four members were jailed. The facility enabled fraudulent networks to emerge.
According to SEF, Portugal’s Immigration and Borders Service, the four members of the ring are citizens of India and Mozambique. They were given jail terms between three and six years following a series of raids in several countries, including Leicester in the United Kingdom.
In the recent scenario and according to an article published by Goan Observer, since the exit of the UK from the European Economic Community, an alternate arrangement has been made for Goans and others holding Portuguese passports to register for fresh work permits in the UK. They have come up with a policy wherein a citizen of the European Union can apply for two statuses: Settled and pre-settled.
If you are a citizen who has lived for more than five years continuously in the UK then you and your family can apply for the ‘settled’ status which indicates that one can continue to live and work in the UK for as long as they want. One will also be eligible for healthcare, schools, public services, public funds, pensions, and even British Citizenship if requirements are met.
If you haven’t lived in the country for more than five years, then you will eligible for ‘pre-settled’ status. This means that you can live here for a further five years. You can live and work and also have access to public funds and services. Once you have completed your continuous five-year residence then you can apply for settled status.
In other cases where you are a relative of the EU citizen, you will have to provide a proof for the same and can apply for the status. If you have a child aged under 21, they are eligible to apply even if they arrive after December 31, 2020 (deadline for applying for the status). If the child is born in the UK after getting settled status, then the child is automatically a British citizen.
The scheme shall be fully open by March 2019 and the application forms will be available online. Necessary help and assistance shall be provided over phone calls. The deadline of applying will be December 30, 2020. One needs to submit the necessary documents, apply for the status along with paying the fees and the approval will lie in the hands of the Parliament. The approval shall be given if the documents are proper and the candidate is not convicted under any serious crimes.
If the application is successful and your status is approved, you will get the proof of the same through online service and your status will not be lost unless you leave the UK for a period of more than five years. In case the application is not approved; you can re-apply by June 30, 2021. You can also appeal the decision if you applied from March 2019.
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