UK: Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, claimed that the Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) had not “worked very effectively,” while India refuted this accusation by stating that it has taken action in all cases brought to it under the pact.
The Indian High Commission in the UK responded to a PTI inquiry regarding Ms. Braverman’s interview in “The Spectator,” in which she claimed that Indians were the “largest group of people who overstay” their visas in the UK, by saying that India is waiting for “demonstrable progress” on the commitments made by the UK government under the MMP, which was signed last year.
Statement from the Indian High Commission
The Government of India is committed to cooperating with the Government of the UK to make it easier for Indian nationals who have overstayed their visa period in the UK to return home, according to a statement from the Indian High Commission on Thursday.
“All of the instances reported to the High Commission have, as of this writing, seen action, according to the data shared with the Home Office. Additionally, the UK has committed to upholding a number of obligations under the Migration and Mobility Protocol, and we look forward to seeing results “It read.
The High Commission underlined that any future agreements would be advantageous to both parties in response to Ms. Braverman’s contentious remarks about having “reservations” over visas on the planned Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that is currently being negotiated between the two sides.
“Commenting on these matters may not be appropriate” Indian High Commision remarks.
Although some mobility and migration-related issues are currently being discussed as part of these negotiations, the High Commission stated that commenting on these matters may not be appropriate given that the negotiations are still ongoing, and that any agreement will include issues of interest to both sides.
Ms.Braverman, stated that she had “concerns” about the FTA with India because she feared what she called “open borders” migration policy.
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“I have worries about having an open borders migration policy with India,” Ms. Braverman
The British weekly news magazine quoted Ms. Braverman as saying, “I have worries about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don’t think that’s what people voted for with Brexit.”
When questioned about the flexibility of visas for students and businesspeople under an FTA between India and the UK, she responded: “But I do harbour some misgivings. Take a look at immigration to our country. Indian immigrants make up the majority of those who overstay their visas “.
“In order to promote and enable improved cooperation in this area, we even came to an agreement with the Indian government last year. It hasn’t always worked out nicely,” she spoke.
Ms. Braverman’s claim that the MMP has not performed as expected is taken as a clear sign that she will most likely refuse to receive Cabinet approval for any visa waivers for India as part of an FTA.
This would put her in conflict with Liz Truss, the British Prime Minister, who is eager to meet the Diwali target for an FTA with India as one of her signature trade agreements since assuming office. This year, Diwali falls on October 24.
On the Indian side, any trade agreement must take into account how easy it is for professionals and students to move around.
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