Duplicate passports offered by GOI to Indians residing in Italy

kds1980 · #1 (**permalink**) 19-Sep-2009, 04:38 AM

Duplicate passports offered by GOI to Indians residing in Italy
Punjab Newsline Network
Wednesday, 16 September 2009

.CHANDIGARH: Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs has been extremely concerned with the problems in getting duplicate passports, by the NRIs living in Italy. The Italian Government has declared AMNESTY SCHEME for the immigrants living in Italy for several years.

The sizeable population (around 35000 to 40000) from Punjab fall under this category of immigrants. This amnesty would be available only for a month i.e. till the end of September 2009 and is open to all the immigrants in Italy who are not having proper authorization. These are people having no passports, or they initially had and have lost their passports or their passports have expired and they have been approaching the Indian Mission abroad for getting the duplicate passports.

Preneet Kaur, took up this issue at the highest level in the Government of India to address their problems and with her intervention, now these people have started getting their duplicate passports issued on priority basis. With this, such immigrants are quite hopeful to get their stay regularized under the amnesty scheme.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/26737-duplicate-passports-offered-goi-indians-residing.html

This will give a great relief to a large number of Punjabi community who have been hoping to be regularized and looking for better opportunities in Italy. Mr. Sukhpal Singh Khaira MLA from Bholath constituency in Punjab visited CGI Milan, met with the Counsel General there and the people affected and had apprised the Minister of State with the facts of the situation recommending immediate action for their relief.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26737

To expedite the process of issuing the duplicate passports, with the instructions of Preneet Kaur, a special team consisting of officials from different passport offices in Punjab has been deputed to the Indian Embassy in Rome and CGI Milan. They have been instructed to work 24 hours a day, including Saturdays and Sundays to issue duplicate passports to NRIs so that they can avail the facility under the amnesty scheme.

This initiative by the Kaur has been greatly appreciated by various organizations in India and abroad including Indian Overseas Congress in E.U. and NRI Sabha in Europe.Surinder Singh Rana, President of NRI Sabha (Europe), Nishan Singh President Gurudwara Committee Italy, Santokh Singh President Kabaddi Federation Italy and Baljit Singh Padda Norway have expressed special gratitude to the Minister for the cooperation extended in resolving this passport issue in Italy.

He has categorically indicated in the letter faxed from Amsterdam that many people desirous of availing of the facility under the amnesty have already started getting Indian passports from Embassy of India in Rome and CGI Milan.

Narayanjot Kaur · #2 (**permalink**) 19-Sep-2009, 04:56 AM

Kanwardeep ji

I hope I understand the article correctly. Are they saying that many Indian immigrants face deportation under Italian laws because of lost/expired passports. And the process of issuing passports has been slow. Therefore Ms. Preneet Kaur ji is trying to speed things up so that people are not deported. I had a hard time understanding the main idea in this article. Lack of context probably. Thank you.

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #3 (**permalink**) 19-Sep-2009, 08:42 AM

Narayan Jot JI..
the way our Punjabi brothers operate is like this.
They arrange travel to foreign countries through "travel agents" who are actually Human Traffickers....for a FEE running into many Lakhs ( Going rate for Europe is about 10-20 lakh rupees dependign on country..UK is higher..places like Italy cyprus cheaper.) The Agent arranges everything..passport, etc etc and once you are inside the country..YOU have to GET RID OF YOUR PASSPORT..or the Agent himslef will take back the passport (for future clients probably--recycling). The Idea behind LOSING your Passport is to ESCAPE DEPORTATION to Port of Last call !!/Original country !! So since you are STATELESS..the authorities will either send you to prison for a while..or you keep on as an illegal immigrant until sufficient time has passed..an AMNESTY is declared..etc.
SO all these ( with maybe a few exceptions of genuine loss) are people who have DELIBERATELY 'lost" their passports and become stateless..so they can continue to stay on in Italy...and NOW since there is an amnesty..they want their statehood back so they cna apply for PR stay in Italy as LEGALS...and the Indian Embassy..for sure doesnt want to give them that....hence the blockage !!
SO NOW the politicians jump in..as these people can translate into VOTES back home..

no one gives out free lunches he he he

Narayanjot Kaur · #4 (**permalink**) 19-Sep-2009, 09:45 AM

Gyani ji

I would have never figured all of that out. It is a cat and mouse video game, and the Indian government is the cat and the mouse.

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #5 (**permalink**) 19-Sep-2009, 15:07 PM

They used to do that in Malaysia...BUT we are a Third world Country....and we use third world methods...unlimited detention in filthiest conditions..little food, no viisitors unless you have friends who can bribe prison camp officials...and you wait and rot in prison where drinking water is adulterated with dog urine...so only a real FOOL 'loses" passport here..or one who is so green his agent tricked him into surrendering it ( I have met punjabis who were asked to surrender even their clothes shoes etc to the agent..promise you will get it all back ?? ha ha and sent through jungle tracks practically naked and peniless...luckily we have GURDWARAS !!!....plenty of that all over the country..free food at least..but still the crowds keep coming...selling their lands houses to finance their No. 2 passport (illegal passport/illegal visa etc all fake)

Narayanjot Kaur · #6 (**permalink**) 19-Sep-2009, 22:01 PM

Stories like this make me want to weep for them.

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #7 (**permalink**) 20-Sep-2009, 04:13 AM

There are thousands of such in SPAIN too..wiating for amnesty regularization...with the Indian Embassy sitting on their applications for YEARS..and i would think in other European countries as well.
Most of thsoe in Spain..crossed over from MOROCCO..after miles of trekking through the DESERTS and all...I met one such who thankfully came back alive form a spanish prison after his family sent double payment to get him back !!( now he joined a Sant DERA in Punjab...for the snat promised him a "granthis" job in some new gurdwara he will set up in some foreign country !! he is now busy learning some paath/mnatras/magic potions/..for future use..when i visited him..he was UPBEAT !! really.)..so there is a RELIGIOUS angle to human trafficking as well !!