- Landmark Mobility and Migration Agreement will allow young
British and Indian nationals to work and live in each other’s
countries
- The partnership includes new measures to accelerate the
removal of illegal migrants and tackle organised immigration
crime
- The new agreement forms part of UK Government’s New Plan for
Immigration to attract the best and brightest while ensuring
those with no legal right to be in the UK are removed
expeditiously
The Governments of the UK and India have signed a new landmark
migration agreement, which will see both countries benefit from
enhanced arrangements on migration issues.
Home Secretary and India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
today (Tuesday 4 May) signed the Migration and Mobility
Partnership agreement, aimed at supporting people to live and
work in both countries while addressing long standing problems of
illegal migration from India to the UK.
The historic agreement delivers on the UK Government’s fair but
firm New Plan for Immigration – attracting the best and brightest
and supporting people coming to the UK through legal routes,while
stopping the abuse of the system and speeding up the removal of
those who have no right to be in the UK.
The agreement will enhance and accelerate the processes to return
Indian nationals with no legal right to stay in the UK and vice
versa, and ensure greater co-operation around organised
immigration crime.
In a first of its kind between the two countries, both
Governments have agreed enhanced mobility provisions for young
professional Indian and British citizens which will allow people
to live and work in the two countries for up to two years.
Home Secretary said:
“I am committed to delivering for the British public a fair but
firm New Plan for Immigration that will attract the best and
brightest talent to UK through our new points-based immigration
system, whilst clamping down on those who are abusing the system.
This ground-breaking new agreement with India is an important
milestone in delivering on this pledge.
“This landmark agreement with our close partners in the
Government of India will provide new opportunities to thousands
of young people in the UK and India seeking to live, work and
experience each other’s cultures. This agreement will also ensure
that the British Government can remove those with no right to be
in UK more easily and crackdown on those abusing our system.”
The deal builds on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s previous pledge
to deliver a quantum leap in the UK’s bilateral relationship with
India.
On illegal migration, the Partnership will ensure swifter and
more efficient returns by accelerating timescales for removals,
by committing appropriate resources to facilitate returns, and
steps to make it easier for Indian nationals to be identified and
returned.
Both Governments are determined to tackle a wide range of
immigration and homeland security issues and this agreement
commits both countries to regular dialogue between the two
governments in this area for the first time.
The new bespoke route for young professionals will allow
18-30-year-olds to work and live in the other country for up to
24 months. This professional and cultural exchange programme will
work similarly to current Youth Mobility Schemes, with India
being the first visa national country to benefit from this.
Professional Indian nationals feature strongly in the UK’s new
points-based immigration system, which encourages the best and
brightest to come to the UK based on their skills and talent
rather than where they are from.
According to the most recent statistics, more than 53,000
students from India came to the UK to study last year, up 42% on
the previous year. Nearly a quarter of all international students
in the UK are from India.
