“As part of our wider discussions under Migration and Mobility, the government of India is committed to work with the government of UK to facilitate the return of Indian citizens who have overstayed their visa period here in the UK.”
— High Commission of India statement
PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
The Indian High Commission in London countered UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s claim that the Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) had not “worked very well” to say that India had initiated action on all cases raised with it under the agreement.
In response to a query about Braverman’s interview in ‘The Spectator’ that branded Indians as the “largest group of people who overstay” their visas in the UK, the mission noted that India awaits “demonstrable progress” on certain commitments undertaken by the UK government under the MMP that was signed last year, reported PTI.
“As part of our wider discussions under Migration and Mobility, the government of India is committed to work with the government of 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.
“As per data shared with the Home Office, as on date, action has been initiated on all of the cases referred to the High Commission. Further, UK has also undertaken to fulfill certain commitments as part of the Migration and Mobility Protocol, on which we await demonstrable progress,” it said.
“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.”
— Suella Braverman, UK Home Secretary
With reference to Braverman’s controversial comments about having visa-related “reservations” over the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) being negotiated between the two sides, the High Commission noted that any future arrangements would be of mutual benefit. “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.
Indian-origin minister Braverman said she had “concerns” over the FTA with India fearing what she termed as an “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,” Braverman told the British weekly news magazine.
When asked about visa flexibility for students and entrepreneurs under an India-UK FTA, she said: “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.”
*********************************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken the small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com
