As Portugal goes to polls, Goans with its passport divided on need to vote

Panaji: As Portugal goes to polls, some Goans who surrendered their Indian passports for Portuguese citizenship have eagerly sent their votes, while others have ignored the envelope with the ballot paper and instructions that arrived by mail from Portugal. Maria (name changed), living in Goa, surrendered her Indian passport for Portuguese citizenship recently, and received her very first ballot paper via post a few weeks ago.

“Although I’m not completely tuned into politics in Portugal, I felt it was my basic responsibility to vote,” she told TOI. “My son did the research and chose a balanced party which is not too conservative. I don’t remember the name of the party, but I will keep an eye out for the results to see whether the party I voted for wins,” she said.

She said that it felt good to participate in the elections of the country that she chose to become a citizen of because of the benefits it offered her and her family. She added that the only reason she opted for Portuguese citizenship was to be able to reach her teenage son, who recently went to Europe to study.

“He’s only a kid, and there are no Goan families or anybody known around. If there’s any emergency, I want to be able to reach him from Goa as quickly as possible. I cannot be delayed waiting for a visa. I didn’t require it for any other reason,” she told TOI.

In Toronto, 40-year-old Monisha Fernandes also received the ballot paper with instructions a few weeks ago, but she didn’t open it. She has never voted in any Portugal election and doesn’t see the need to, she said. “I don’t know who to vote for, and then I would need to post the ballot back to Portugal, so I said, ‘forget it’. It’s not relevant in my life as I don’t live there. When I lived in India, I voted regularly. If I were living in Portugal, I would care and would also vote,” she said.

She surrendered her Indian passport for Portuguese nationality around a decade ago for the visa-free travel opportunities it offered her. “I opted for Portuguese citizenship because there are no visa restrictions. Applying for visas is expensive and time-consuming. Becoming a Portuguese citizen resolved this issue for me,” she said.

A UK Goan who obtained Portuguese citizenship ten years ago to secure EU residency rights told TOI she has been voting at every election, and posted her vote as soon as she received the ballot paper from Portugal this time too. “I have been following the elections closely. I researched party platforms, candidates, and their proposed politics to make an informed decision. I will now follow the election and results to stay informed about potential changes that could impact my family and me,” she said.

Another Portuguese Goan living in the UK told TOI that a Goan WhatsApp group guided him and his family to vote. “We supported the party that supports Goans,” he said, adding that Portuguese citizenship offered him and his family better education and living standards in the UK. Another Portuguese Goan who migrated to the UK, K Lopes, said that she didn’t update her address and hence didn’t receive her postal ballot at her UK address.

“Even if I had received it, it wouldn’t feel right voting as I have visited Portugal only once, on holiday. I don’t follow politics there and don’t live there, and hence don’t see the point in voting for the govt there,” she told TOI.