UK will not change immigration policy to secure trade deal with India, says Rishi Sunak

A spokesperson of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a press conference on Thursday said that the United Kingdom will not change its immigration policy in order to secure a trade deal with India, saying that PM Rishi Sunak believes that the current level of immigration is too high. “To be crystal clear, there are no plans to change our immigration policy to achieve this free trade agreement and that includes student visas,” the spokesperson added.

According to sources there is growing optimism that the free trade deal will in all likeliness conclude this year between India and UK as both the countries agreed on the broad contours of the agreement. Rishi Sunak, who will be participating in the G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, told his ministers this week that negotiations were progressing but that he would only agree on an approach that worked for the whole of Britain.

Immigration commitments or access to Britain’s labour market:

In June this year, Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch said Britain would discuss temporary business visas as part of trade talks but not broader immigration commitments or access to Britain’s labour market for Indian workers. It is also expected that Rishi Sunak and PM Modi will meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit and discuss the details of the free trade agreement.

It is also expected that during the G20 meeting PM Sunak will urge PM Modi to call out Russia over its attacks on Ukraine and use its clout to help end the war, the Financial Times reported. Reuters had earlier reported that Sunak would also discuss progress towards circumventing Russia’s Black Sea grain blockade with G20 leaders.

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