Boris Johnson said he was ready to change immigrant visas as part of the price of a trade agreement with India.
Visas to study, work and stay in the UK have long been a top priority for Delhi in negotiations with the UK to improve trade relations. London’s reluctance to open its doors is seen as a major obstacle to the trade deal, which both sides have said they want to conclude by the end of this year.
But Mr Johnson seemed ready to take a more accommodating line as he traveled to India for a two-day visit, which would include talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
Asked by reporters if he would have anything to offer Mr Modi on visas, the prime minister immediately referred to the UK’s need for “hundreds of thousands” of skilled workers who receive preferential treatment according to the points after the Brexit-based immigration system.
“I have always supported people coming to this country,” Mr Johnson said. “We have a huge shortage in the UK, not least in IT and programming experts. We are short for hundreds of thousands in our economy.
“We have to have a professional approach, but it has to be controlled.”
Mr Johnson said the trade agreements and export deals that would be announced during his trip totaled £ 1 billion and would create approximately 11,000 jobs, mostly in the UK.
These include a deal for a satellite company saved from bankruptcy by Dominic Cummings using £ 400m in taxpayer money that intends to launch missiles from India.
Mr Johnson said relations had been strengthened by a “living bridge” between people of Indian descent living in the United Kingdom and that he himself had married relatives living in India.
He said British politicians should “respect and understand the sensitivity” of the UK’s history as India’s imperial ruler, but added: “The great thing about relationships today is that they are in a different place and less burdened by it. . ”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Boris Johnson in Glasgow last year
(Getty Images)
The long-awaited trip – twice postponed due to the Covid pandemic – means Mr Johnson will be away from Westminster on Thursday for a crucial vote on Thursday in a parliamentary inquiry into allegations of contempt of municipalities lying over Partygate.
The visit threatens to be overshadowed by India’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or reduce trade relations with Moscow. India remains a significant consumer of Russian military and energy exports.
However, Downing Street insists that the prime minister will not try to “lecture” Mr Modi, but will instead offer “constructive” proposals for alternative sources in an attempt to reduce the country’s dependence on Russia.
Mr Cummings, a former aide, persuaded Mr Johnson to allow OneWeb to be rescued against government objections, after identifying the little-known company as a means by which Britain could establish a presence in the satellite communications market after Brexit.
It aims to put hundreds of small and relatively cheap satellites in low orbit to provide broadband coverage around the world, but faces competition from big players, including Elon Musk and Amazon.
Today’s deal follows a letter of intent from October last year, signed jointly by OneWeb and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a trading division of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), in which OneWeb CEO Sunil Bharti Mittal outlined plans for use. of two Indian-made vehicles as potential platforms for launching satellites from the country.
The company recently canceled planned launches from Russia’s Baconur spacecraft in Kazakhstan due to last-minute demands from Moscow.
Other agreements announced by Mr Johnson on his arrival in the western Indian state of Gujarat include:
- a new Switch Mobility electric bus research and development center in the United Kingdom and the opening of the company’s headquarters in Asia and the Pacific in Chennai, generating over 1,000 jobs in the United Kingdom and India
- investment by Indian manufacturer Bharat Forge and electric truck maker Tevva Motors to fund expansion to a new site in the southeast and create 500 new jobs
- Indian software company Mastek to invest £ 79m to create 1,600 jobs over the next three years in the UK
- Hertfordshire-based Smith & Nephew deals to sell robotic surgical systems in India
Mr Johnson said: “As I arrive in India today, I see great potential for what our two great nations can achieve together. From next-generation 5G telecommunications and AI to new partnerships in health research and renewable energy – the UK and India are world leaders.
“Our strong partnership provides jobs, growth and opportunities for our people, and it will only grow stronger in the years to come.”
The prime minister will visit a new factory opened by a British company in Gujarat, as well as a biotechnology university working in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh.
The UK will reaffirm new scientific and technological collaborations, including a Digital Health Partnership, new AI fellowships for Indian students and a £ 6 million investment from the Qure-ai artificial intelligence healthcare professionals to fund the opening of a center of excellence. in the United Kingdom.
Negotiating teams will begin their third round of formal talks in India next week on a trade agreement. But no breakthroughs are expected during the prime minister’s visit.
Add Comment