Days after her remarks that Indians formed the “the largest group of visa overstayers” in Britain almost derailed the UK-India free trade agreement (FTA), British home secretary Suella Braverman has said London is eager to clinch a trade deal with New Delhi and that Britain no longer has a “Eurocentric mindset” towards trade or visas following Brexit.

Attending a Diwali event organised by UK-based India Global Forum (IGF) in London on Tuesday evening, Braverman said: “Naturally, there is an economic imperative for our countries to work together, which is why we are so eager to secure a trade deal.” Braverman’s earlier statement had raised fears that she was unlikely to endorse any further visa concession, a critical area of interest for India under the proposed trade deal.

Although the Diwali deadline to clinch the FTA is no longer relevant, Braverman has now stressed that the UK government continues to remain determined to build on the momentum set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson, particularly, was keen on an FTA by Diwali (October 24) when he visited India in April.

In an apparent effort to soothe frayed nerves in New Delhi, Braverman spoke of being a proud member of the British Indian community and stated how villages, towns and cities in the UK have been “profoundly enriched by immigration from India”.

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“India is in my heart, she’s in my soul, she’s in my blood. I’m very proud that my father has his roots and his family home in Goa and my mother can trace her ancestral origins to Madras,” she said.

Earlier this month, Braverman caused a furore when she told the Spectator magazine that she had “concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don’t think that’s what people voted for with Brexit”. Responding to questions on visa flexibility for students and entrepreneurs under an India-UK FTA, Braverman said: “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 was referring to the Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) endorsed by her predecessor, Priti Patel, and external affairs minister S Jaishankar in May last year. That agreement, while seeking to encourage talent into the UK, was also aimed at cracking down on those abusing the immigration system.

Subsequently, the Indian High Commission in the UK rebutted Braverman’s claims and stated that India had initiated action on all cases raised with it under the agreement. However, New Delhi awaited “demonstrable progress” on certain pledged made by the UK under the MMP, it pointed out.

India has already pipped China as the country that has received the highest number of student visas issued by the UK. About 118,000 Indian students received UK student visas in the year through June 2022, up 89% from a year before. Given the vast pool of skilled professionals, India has been grabbing a large share of visas for skilled migrants in the UK.

Both India and the UK launched formal negotiations in January for the FTA, which could ultimately cover more than 90% of tariff lines. They aim to double bilateral trade of both goods and services to about $100 billion by 2030. The India-UK trade is dominated by services, which make up about 70% of the overall annual commerce.
(With PTI inputs)