Uk visa: India counters UK Home Secretary’s claim
Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, claimed that the Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) had not “worked very well.” India responded 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.
“As part of our wider discussions under Migration and Mobility, the government of India is committed to working with the government of the UK to facilitate the return of Indian citizens who have overstayed their visa period here in the UK,” the High Commission of India statement said on Thursday.
“As per the data shared with the Home Office, as of date, action has been initiated on all of the cases referred to the High Commission. Further, the UK has also undertaken to fulfil certain commitments as part of the Migration and Mobility Protocol, on which we await demonstrable progress,” it said.
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.
“While certain issues pertaining to Mobility and Migration are currently under discussion as part of these negotiations, any comment on these matters may not be appropriate given that the negotiations are underway, and that any arrangement will include issues of interest to both sides,” the High Commission said.
The minister of Indian descent who took over the Home Office last month, Ms. Braverman, stated that she had “concerns” about the FTA with India because she feared what she called a “open borders” migration policy.
“I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don’t think that’s what people voted for with Brexit,” Ms Braverman told the British weekly news magazine.
When questioned about the flexibility of visas for students and businesspeople under an FTA between India and the UK, she responded: “But I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country – the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants”.
“We even reached an agreement with the Indian government last year to encourage and facilitate better cooperation in this regard. It has not necessarily worked very well,” she said.
Uk visa: India counters UK Home Secretary’s claim
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.
