No relaxation of immigration rules for India, Theresa May says
![Theresa May with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to India for bilateral talks and trade events [Image: Harish Tyagi/EPA].](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/161107-Theresa-May-Narendra-Modi-Harish-Tyagi-EPA.png)
Theresa May with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to India for bilateral talks and trade events [Image: Harish Tyagi/EPA].
That being said, there probably isn’t any need for new rules on immigration from India. Some arguments for the UK to leave the EU have claimed that people from outside the Union have been barred from entry because the EU demands preferential treatment for its members; clearly the evidence shows that this is not true.
There are wider possibilities with India, though. It is part of the BRICS trading group with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa and a productive meeting this week could open up better relations with all of those countries – which would be particularly useful in soothing tensions with Russia.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, was in India only a couple of weeks ago, and it seems likely that the result of that visit will be prominent in Mr Modi’s mind now.
Theresa May has dashed Indian hopes for a more liberal visa system for its nationals wanting to work in the UK by arguing that the current offer is generous enough.
Speaking on the way to her first bilateral meeting in Delhi, the prime minister argued that Britain was already able to attract the “brightest and best” from outside the EU. “The figures show that we issue more work visas to India than I think US, Australia and China put together. Nine out of 10 visa applications from India are already accepted. We have, I believe, a good system,” she said.
The comments will prove disappointing for some in the Indian government and business community who have argued for more of their highly skilled professional workers to be able to get six-month visas for the UK and other European countries.
Source: Theresa May says UK will not raise visa quota for Indian nationals | World news | The Guardian
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This is so typical of right wing narrow mindedness. Britain by democratic process has opted to leave the security of EU trading and we need to build relations with what could be future trading partners. Our dense PM does her level best to alienate the links we will need to promote import/export links and ties which will benefit the working class people and passes on a BRICS opportunity when we may well be cap in hand to this group in the near future. She is so Russophobic that she would cut off her nose to spite OUR faces and instead gives India a reason to draw ever closer towards Russia – stupid cow, how to win friends and influence people – NOT. If she is left in charge much longer, we will be at the mercy of the disastrous US TPA’s and CETA cons and we will go down with the sinking ship. With a twit like her in charge, it will make no difference that we have our own currency, if we are broke and she’s got no-one to fix it, we’re also screwed, just like Greece.