Illegal Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom to be deported back

In return, young Indian professionals will be permitted to live and work in Britain for up to two years

For years, Theresa May as the British home secretary had pressed for it. After she became prime minister, her counterpart Narendra Modi in 2018 accepted the proposal, then reneged. Modi finally yielded to the demand on Tuesday, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in London signing a memorandum of understanding on migration, which binds India to accelerating the process of illegal Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom being deported home. Where diplomacy is transactional rather than an expression of unconditional ties, it generally becomes a give-and-take. This is indeed the case with current Indo-British relations.
 
On Tuesday, other than British PM Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi holding a virtual meeting to announce an Enhanced Trade Partnership — which rather failed to live up to expectations after months of hype by the UK’s secretary of state for international trade Liz Truss — Jaishankar initiated what is being officially called the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement.

 
According to British estimates there could be up to 100,000 Indian nationals in the UK who have no legal right to stay in the country. Television documentaries have depicted such people living and sleeping rough around the British capital’s western suburb of Southall, which is known for its heavy concentration of non-resident Indians or persons of Indian origin, mainly Sikhs from Punjab. It’s nicknamed “Little Amritsar”.
 

The Indian government has never denied the existence of elements who have over the years been smuggled into the UK in high risk fashion and unlawfully reside here.
 
At the same time, the High Commission of India made it clear every individual identified as an illegal immigrant by British authorities needed to be probed about their antecedents. This means interviewing them, ascertaining which part of India they came from and then cross-checking with their family and friends about their bona fides.

 
India is wary of Punjabi-speaking Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents infiltrating into India in the garb of a prodigal son.
 
In lieu of India finally and publicly recognising the problem, Britain conceded some ground on a long-standing Indian corporate sector demand. Henceforth young Indian professionals will be permitted to live and work in the UK for up to two years. The arrangement will be reciprocal.
 
Patel said the leniency “will attract the best and the brightest talent to the UK through our new points-based immigration system”. The bespoke scheme will especially benefit 18-30-year-olds.
 
On illegal immigration, she added: “This agreement will also ensure that the British government can remove those with no right to be in the UK more easily and crack down on those abusing our system.”

 
Although an immigrant herself, she, a Conservative from the party’s heartland of Essex, has over the years acquired the reputation of being staunchly opposed to foreign nationals settling in Britain.
 
Jaishankar is in London to attend the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting where India, along with Australia, South Korea and South Africa, are “guest” countries. In other words, they don’t participate in the core discussions, but figures on the fringes and as observers. His presence at the Lancaster House in-person conference was cut short, though, with two members of the delegation accompanying him testing positive for coronavirus. As a result, he was forced to withdraw from face-to-face exchanges and instead took part virtually from his hotel room.

 
Jaishankar tweeted on Wednesday: “Was made aware yesterday evening of exposure to possible Covid positive cases. As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements in the virtual mode.” His bilateral meetings scheduled for Thursday might have to be carried out online as well.