World News | India and UK discuss immigration and security as Indian envoy visits Home Secretary Braverman

LONDON, Nov. 2 (PTI) — Cooperation on immigration and security issues was on the agenda at a meeting between UK Home Secretary Sulla Braverman and Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doreswamy.

The envoy on Tuesday called on Indian-origin cabinet ministers to discuss the India-UK Security Partnership and “make progress” under the India-UK Partnership on Migration and Mobility (MMP).

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The meeting follows Braverman’s controversial remarks last month that the MMP was ineffective in addressing illegal immigration and visa overstays from India.

“High Commissioner Vikram Doreswamy today called on the Home Secretary, Her Excellency Surah Braverman, to discuss India-UK security cooperation and progress under the India-UK Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement,” High Commission of India in London tweeted after the meeting.

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Braverman, in turn, referred to the “strong partnership” shared between India and the UK. “I look forward to working with our friends on mutual interests including security and immigration,” she tweeted after the meeting.

The Indian delegation rejected the Home Secretary’s allegations that the agreement with the Indian government to encourage and promote better cooperation on illegal immigration “doesn’t necessarily work” was seen as a reconciliation move.

“According to data shared with the Home Office, to date, action has been taken on all cases referred to the High Commission. In addition, the UK has committed itself to certain commitments as part of the Migration and Mobility Protocol, and we look forward to that in this regard. Clear progress has been made,” the Indian High Commission said in a statement last month.

It is widely believed that Braverman, who led the cabinet of former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was then home secretary, kept the ongoing India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations out of Diwali time by expressing “concern” about what she feared surface. Becoming an “open border” policy for Indians.

“Look at the immigrants in this country — the largest overstay population is Indian immigrants,” she said at the time.

Meanwhile, the recently formed India (Trade and Investment) All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) held its first meeting at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday, with UK Trade Secretary Greg Hands reiterating that free trade agreement negotiations are still ongoing.

“India is projected to become the world’s third largest economy by 2050 – offering significant opportunities for British companies,” Hands tweeted after the meeting.

A new cross-party UK parliamentary group was formed in July to boost trade, investment and people-to-people ties with India, and is supported by the 1928 Institute, a British India think tank.

APPG Co-Chairs, Labour MPs Navendu Mishra and Lord Karan Bilimoria, and APPG President Baroness Sandy Verma attended the meeting, which was also attended by the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, who spoke about the scope of bilateral cooperation in the rising fields of green economy, fintech, etc.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)