The rush among Goans to become Portuguese nationals is continuing though they use that country's passport these days to gain entry into Britain or other European countries.
But the Portuguese government is going slow on processing thousands of applications especially since this facility is being misused these days even as genuine applicants have to wait for years.
"When the Portuguese left its colonies in India in 1961, it was a gesture on their part to look after its former citizens and therefore those born before 1961 were given Portuguese citizenship if they made an application for it," a senior official from the Consulado-Geral de Portugal told Gulf News.
But the Portuguese government is now rethinking a legislation passed in 1975 allowing citizens of its former colonies to be given Portuguese nationality.
And to withdraw this legislation would take a long time and therefore, there are instructions to go slow and restrict the number of applicants being given nationality.
But through fraudulent practices a Portuguese passport can be obtained within a short time for a tidy sum by submitting fake papers.
After the 9/11 terror attacks and subsequent hunt for various terrorist groups, the United States, Britain and other European countries have put pressure on Portugal to screen all its entrants.
The problem has worsened with even non-Goans applying for Portuguese passport.
"It has become a free for all", says the official who receives around 30-40 applications in a month.
With the slowdown, there are 18,000 applications from Goa for Portuguese passports waiting to be processed.
These are submitted directly to Lisbon by travel agents from Goa whilst the Consulate here has sent 2,500 applications since 1994.
According to the Consulate official, there are around 40,000 Goans and 100,000 Gujaratis from Daman and Diu who have settled down in Portugal since 1961.
But most recent entrants use their Portuguese nationality as a gateway to better prospects in other countries.
"And why not?" asks Bruno Gomindes, Managing Director, Travco Holidays Pvt Ltd, an international travel company operating from Goa.
"A Portuguese passport gives you a clean and decent entry into all the European countries and even the United States, not to speak of other countries," he says.
Though older Goans speak Portuguese, the new generation only knows English and therefore the choice is Britain or the United States.
In fact, suburban Swindon near London is full of immigrant Goans.
Gomindes himself is a Portuguese passport holder who is carrying on a thriving travel business as a Person of Indian Origin here by helping young and even older Goans by doing the entire documentation required for obtaining a Portuguese passport.
"I'm a citizen of Portugal and can even become the president of that country," he said.
