UK Rushes to Save Trade Deal With India Pushed to ‘Verge of Collapse’ Over Immigration Pact

UK media previously reported that the fate of the flagship trade deal was threatened as New Delhi was “shocked and disappointed” over the “disrespectful” comments by Suella Braverman, in which the UK Home Secretary claimed a trade agreement between India and the UK would undermine Brexit objectives and encourage immigration to the UK.

British Foreign Minister James Cleverly on Thursday vowed to deepen trade ties with India amid reports that Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s comment about migrants supposedly put the ambitious deal on the “verge of collapse.”

“I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country — the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants,” Braverman said in an interview with The Spectre.

"We do want to have an even stronger, and it's strong already, but an even stronger trading, relationship with India," Cleverly stated when asked about her collegue's recent claim.

Braverman's remarks prompted India to harden its position in the ongoing negotiations with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal, saying that India will not diverge from its approach of prioritizing national interests for the sake of deadlines.

Last week , a London spokesperson said that the UK will not “sacrifice quality for speed and will only sign when we have a deal that meets the UK’s interests.”

Britain and India launched negotiations for a free-trade agreement in January to conclude the talks by end of October. However, sources in New Delhi told Sputnik that negotiations over several issues have yet to reach a final stage, indicating the October deadline is unlikely to be met.

Besides the number of visas for Indian workers and students, the two countries have yet to sort out differences over the payments made by Indian workers into Britain’s social security system. New Delhi wants to bring the payments made towards the social security scheme back to its economy if certain Indian workers return home.

The British home secretary’s comments also indicate that the migration and mobility issues would undergo political vetting before becoming part of the trade deal. This is proved by Secretary for International Trade Kemi Badenoch comments, as she raised concerns over opening up of the UK’s services sector for more Indian immigration under the free trade agreement.

“I am not in a rush to sign trade deals. I want good deals with these countries. We need to make sure that every deal is great for the UK,” Badenoch said.

With help of the free trade agreement, the two countries intended to double bilateral trade, at present valued at $15 billion, over the next 10 years.