LONDON, Oct 8: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out easing visa rules for Indian workers and students ahead of his visit to India to promote a new trade deal. Leading a group of more than 100 business and education leaders, Starmer said his focus was on expanding business ties and attracting investment, not changing immigration policy. He said the goal was to create jobs and boost prosperity through trade, not visas, according to the BBC.
The UK-India trade agreement, finalized in July after long negotiations, will lower tariffs on British cars and whisky sent to India and make Indian textiles and jewellery cheaper in the UK. The deal also gives short-term Indian employees in the UK a three-year exemption from paying social security, the BBC states.
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Officials confirmed this did not signal wider immigration reforms, saying the government remained committed to cutting migration. The BBC reported that Labour recently introduced stricter settlement rules at its party conference.
Speaking to reporters en route to Mumbai, Starmer said visa issues were not part of the trade deal and that policy remained unchanged. When asked about attracting tech professionals following the US changes to its H-1B visa program, he said Britain welcomed global talent but had no new visa plans for India. The BBC stated that British Airways and Manchester Airport, both part of the delegation, announced new and expanded flights to Delhi as part of growing business links.
During his visit, Starmer will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When asked about Modi’s recent birthday message to Vladimir Putin, Starmer said he had not and would not send greetings to the Russian leader. On India’s oil trade with Moscow, Starmer said the UK’s priority was stopping Russia’s “shadow fleet” of unregulated oil tankers, describing Britain as a leading nation in tackling the issue, the BBC reported.
