LONDON:
Suella Braverman has again risked upsetting No. 10 after saying she has “reservations” about Britain’s trade deal with India because it could increase immigration to the UK, The Guardian reported.
Liz Truss said she wants to sign a trade agreement with India by Diwali at the end of this month. The Indian government is demanding an increase in work and study visas for Indian nationals and earlier this year Boris Johnson said the agreement would lead to increased immigration.
In an interview with the Spectator, UK Home Secretary Braverman said Indian migrants make up the largest number of visa overstayers in the UK. The home secretary also criticised a deal with India, signed by her predecessor Priti Patel, to increase the number of illegal migrants and overstayers returned to the country, saying the agreement “has not necessarily worked very well”.
Braverman told the Spectator: “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.”
Asked whether she would support a deal if it only involved greater flexibility for students and entrepreneurs, 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.”
