NEW DELHI, MAY 7 —Noting the critical documentation crisis facing Indian nationals in Spain, MP Satnam Singh Sandhu has urged senior officials at the Ministry of External Affairs to streamline the issuance of passports and Police Clearance Certificates. In a memorandum submitted this week, the MP affirmed that the Indian community, particularly in Madrid and Barcelona, is facing a race against time to complete legal immigration formalities in their host country.
The MP stated that the current backlog of passport renewals and pending PCCs has left many families in a state of financial and legal vulnerability. He noted that without valid identification, many Indian workers are unable to maintain their employment or access basic rights while living abroad. He maintained that the matter is of extreme urgency because Spain’s limited window for individuals to regularize their legal status is currently open, but requires valid Indian documentation to proceed.
“I have urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take immediate steps to facilitate urgent passport renewal services and provide timely assistance in emergency documentation cases,” MP Sandhu affirmed. He declared that he has also proposed that the Indian Embassy in Spain host additional documentation camps to bridge the service gap. He noted that the daily lives of the diaspora have been significantly disrupted, with many unable to visit India for urgent matters due to pending procedures.
The intervention has been welcomed by members of the Indian community in Europe. Kulwinder Singh, a community representative in France, affirmed in a statement that thousands of Punjabis in Spain are currently stuck in this administrative limbo. He stated that the MP’s efforts have already begun to improve communication with the authorities, though he declared that the Ministry must ensure a faster turnaround for document processing to protect the interests of Indian citizens abroad.
