Thank you Gabe for sharing the Heraldo Article
Factors leading to mass migration of Goans to the UK? May I add to the splendid essay in Heraldo Sunday 3 January on Factors leading to Mass Migration of Goans I have to agree with the honesty of the last paragraph “ Now, the well-informed Goan would have to think harder and reason out a little more comprehensively before choosing to surrender his Indian citizenship in exchange for a Portuguese passport, given that the UK is no longer a part of the EU. “ Money Speaks It is tearful to observe the migration of our people in recent years leave their Villas in the Sun and Ration Cards to live in shared rented accommodation as second class citizens in England. Over a hundred years ago, my grandparents went to East Africa on Portuguese Travel Documents. It was a time when Crab Mentality saved lives. Let me explain when our Portuguese Educated People Oiled the Colonial Administrative system in East Africa our Indian Cousins were quite happy in their own community opening up shops and trading in towns. The Goans on the other hand for an extra rupee were happy to venture into the jungle where others preferred not to for fear of disease and being eaten by wild animals or even attacked by natives. The Crab Mentality must have saved many lives as very few funerals were recorded. Statistics are important, perhaps the NRI office of Goa State can give us a figure of deceased fellow Goans brought back to Goa for Burial from the United Kingdom with or without the assistance of the 6 Trustees of Goan Welfare Society UK who have spent GBP 104,627 of donated money in the last five years. Goan Welfare Society UK based in Cranford and can be found on the website of GOAUK.COM. Mother Goa has always welcomed her children and grandchildren back, the Government of India through the OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) gives a facility for everyone to connect with their ancestral land however on arrival most talk of being ripped off never to return again that’s another story. There is a big wide world to go to. May I draw your attention to the following observations on a Webinar Goans in Britain Part of South Asian Heritage Month.. Your comments will be most welcome. melvynfernan...@virginmedia.com mailto:melvynfernan...@virginmedia.com 6th January 2021. Subject: UK: Zoom Webinar Goans in Britain Part of South Asian Heritage Month 18 August 2020 – Observations by Rose Fernandes UK: Zoom Webinar Goans in Britain Part of South Asian Heritage Month 18 August 2020 – Observations by Rose Fernandes See link below: (cut and paste on browser if link does not open) https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=326123572085779&ref=watch_permalink In his opening address, Ravi Vaz (from minute 3.34) spoke of “food parcels to 600 families in the UK” and Suella Braverman (minute 7.13) thanked Ravi and his team for the “6,000 food parcels through volunteer’s effort”. These two unverified statements clearly indicate that with the current coronavirus pandemic, at least for some families that have come from Goa or other parts of the world and made UK their home, the dream is fast turning into the sad reality of “Breadline Britain”. Dr Stella Mascarenhas-Keyes outlined two reasons for the 21st century migration of Goans, through the Portuguese passport, to Britain. Firstly, the opening of the border between Goa and the rest of India resulting in free movement of labour causing a “competition for jobs” in Goa. Secondly, the local Goan observing the spending power by visitors coming from abroad, a visual sign that people who have ventured abroad had made and were making it “big”. However, I find this quite the reverse speaking to my circle of friends, the 21st century Goan migration also consists of Catholic Goans who have left well paid and secure jobs in Goa coupled with a wonderful lifestyle, and headed for the UK. In fact, just the other day, one of our friends announced that he was leaving his big “villa in the sun” in Goa and heading to the UK where, I assured him, there was no hope at all of him having an equivalent lifestyle here and definitely not the same sized property! At best, one room in a shared house. So are the real reasons for Goans coming to the UK more complex, are they multiple faceted, do we have to dig deeper for the truth and is there any hope of finding it? Turning to the “competition for jobs” did those who migrated to the UK really think there was no local competition in the UK for jobs? Or were they prepared to do jobs no one wanted to do in the UK? The coronavirus pandemic has certainly put things in perspective in UK and Goa. Fast forward to August 2020 in Goa Today for the life of cross border migrants captured in a short film “Trapped in Paradise” These people came to fill the void left by the 21st Century Catholic Goans, click link below: https://shorted.in/short-films/trapped-in-paradise-goa-coronavirus As a 20th Century Goan, when I first came to England there was an advertisement “Happiness is a Cigar called Hamlet”. My observations of 21st Century Goans are that they are no longer content with their previous lifestyle of rice, curry and fish. Instead “Happiness is a watch called Rolex” or “Happiness is a car called Rolls Royce”, while some people are still dreaming of their first second hand Mercedes Benz parked outside. Status is more important in Goa than in the UK hence the need to acquire and “flash their cash” by any means possible. Rose Fernandes Thornton Heath Surrey 20 August 2020
