Outsiders can’t spend retired lives in India

Outsiders can’t spend retired lives in India
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: After spending eight years in Goa, a British couple in their 60s—Mash Barry Sidney and Jenice Mash—decided to make the idyllic coastal state their permanent home. But it wasn’t to be, as they were told the Indian law forbids retired foreigners from staying permanently in the country. “When we applied for extension of stay in India, officials at the Foreigners’ Registration Office, Panaji, told us we won’t get visa extension as we had sought it for spending our retired life in Goa,’’ Sidney said, adding, “We were told it was in line with the instructions of the external affairs ministry.’’ Sidney said the FRO told them, “As per the ministry’s instructions, foreigners have to spend their retired life in their country. Your request isn’t agreed to.’’ He said the FRO requested them to leave India.
This isn’t an isolated case. FRO sources told TOI every year 3,000 foreigners staying in Goa, seek visa extension. In most cases, they say they want to spend their retired life in Goa. “Goa home department rejects the requests citing the MEA rules,’’ an FRO official said. Legal experts are unconvinced. “Under what provi-sion of law can they disallow a retired foreigner from living in the country,’’ lawyer Vikram Varma said.