UK’s Suella Braverman Against Trade Deal As Indian Immigration Will Increase

LONDON, (IANS) – Suella Braverman risked upsetting No. 10 saying she has “reservations” with Britain-India trade deal as it could lead to an increase in immigration to the UK, The Guardian reported.

PM Liz Truss said she wants to sign a trade agreement with India by the end of this month. The Indian government is demanding an increase in work and study visas for Indian nationals. Boris Johnson too had 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 criticized 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.”