UK's Home Secretary not in favour of 'open border' migration policy

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New Delhi, October 6

Britain’s new Home Secretary Suella Braverman has expressed doubts about the “open border” migration policy which would also result from an FTA deal with India. “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 in an interview. She seemed to indicate that she would not offer Cabinet backing to a trade deal that offers India greater visa concessions.

Indian-origin leader’s stance

• Britain’s Home Secretary Suella Braverman indicates she will not offer Cabinet backing to a trade deal that offers India greater visa concessions.
• Braverman is the daughter of a Tamilian mother and a Goan father, both of whom migrated to Mauritius and Kenya, respectively, decades ago.

Earlier at the Conservative Party annual conference, she had drawn attention to the influx of foreigners as students doing courses that are below par. “We should be looking more at students. We’ve had a massive increase in the number of students coming to this country. I do think we do get to a point where we have to look at some of the courses that people are doing in this country. They are not always very good quality,” she had said.

“I think it’s legitimate to question whether that is going to serve our economic objectives, and taking a more discerning, smart approach to the number of student visas I think is highly consistent with our agenda for growth,” she added.

Braverman’s doubts over a proposed FTA with India over the issue of migration pits her against her predecessor Priti Patel, both Conservative Party politicians with Indian links. It would also put her in a contradictory position with UK PM Liz Truss who is pushing for an FTA with India by Diwali.

Speaking about the Migration and Mobility Partnership signed with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in May last year, Patel had said, “This pact will provide new opportunities to thousands of young people in the UK and India seeking to live, work and experience each other’s cultures.”

India with 1.18 lakh has overtaken China with the highest number of student visas in the UK.

Braverman is the daughter of a Tamilian mother and a Goan father.