Badenoch hails CPTPP trade deal
India is demanding more visas for nurses and care workers as its price for a post-Brexit free trade deal with Britain, according to reports.
The 12th round of negotiations has begun with the talks entering the most difficult and complex phases.
New Delhi is pushing for more UK visas for nurses, caregivers, IT professionals and financial consultants, according to The Telegraph.
A senior official in India’s commerce ministry told the newspaper: “There are some areas like visa and protection of Indian industries where we have to iron out some differences."
But UK officials are said to have made it clear there will be no special cases made for workers from India under the points-based immigration system introduced after Brexit.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi (Image: GETTY)
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Last year, remarks from Home Secretary Suella Braverman voicing "reservations" about relaxing immigration controls for Indians as part of any agreement were reported to have provoked an angry response from ministers and officials in New Delhi.
It comes as Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch is visiting India for a meeting of G20 ministers this week.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to visit New Delhi for the G20 leaders' summit next month.
No timeline for finalising any deal has been confirmed.
It comes as the Government is facing pressure over legal migration levels.
Figures released today show the number of UK work visas has reached a record high, with more than half a million granted in the year to June.
Some 538,887 work visas were granted, up 63 per cent on the previous 12-month period.
It is the first time the figure has topped half a million in any year since records began in 2005.
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