Indian expats in a fix over losing passport as ID proof
Indian expats are in a fix with the Indian government deciding to do away with the last page of the passport, which serves as a proof of address and relationships. With Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) not eligible for Aadhaar identity cards, expats will be left with no official document to prove their permanent address and relationships with parents and spouse that are endorsed on the last page. While the government has considered the plea of single parents and divorcees to avoid naming their spouses and their children in their passports, expats said it has ignored the difficulties NRIs will face.
“For an NRI, the passport is the only document to show Indian address, father’s name, mother’s name or spouse’s name. All countries demand all these information for issuing visit visa and resident visa. Even banks ask for these details and permanent address,” said K.V. Shamsudheen, chairman of Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust in Sharjah. “The decision to stop giving all this information on the last page of the passport will create a lot of issues for NRIs in the long run,” he said.
Advocate Hashik T.K., who has handled several cases of mistaken identity of Indians in the UAE, said it will be a blunder to do away with the last page of the passport.“In mistaken identity cases where the name and date of birth are the same, officials look for the names of parents and spouses and addresses to establish the identity. Even with all these details, some people have got into trouble. Doing away with such vital information in passports will harm many innocent people.”
He pointed out that applicants may not get to know mistakes, if any, in the details saved in government databases if they cannot read them in passports. “People can’t keep running to the consulate or embassy to seek basic details. This will become a problem in death cases also. It is easier to get in touch with the family of a deceased expat using the passport.”
He said expats travelling to countries without Indian missions will face difficulties in case of emergencies where they have to establish these details.