UK-India trade deal in jeopardy following Suella Braverman's remarks on Indian migrants

Representative Image

Home Secretary Suella Braverman's remarks have sparked a heated response from Indian ministers, seriously jeopardising the UK prime minister's flagship trade agreement with India, according to a report by The Times.

The Home Secretary expressed "concerns" about the trade agreement last week, claiming that it will increase migration to the UK and that Indians made up the greatest proportion of visa overstayers.

She was reported as saying by The Spectator magazine, "I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country – the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants."

Moneycontrol could not verify the news.

The "disrespectful" comments left the Indian government ministers and officials "shocked and dismayed", according to the report citing sources.

The Indian government sources added that the "relationship has taken a step back" as a result of the home secretary's remarks.

There is still a lot of goodwill, but the discussions will be halted if certain people remain in the government, they continued.

If Truss wanted to save the contract, they advised her to publicly "disassociate" herself from Braverman's remarks.

The Indian government is seeking additional work and study visas for its residents, as well as a new visa modelled after an agreement with Australia and New Zealand that permits people under the age of 35 to live in the UK for up to three years.

In talks, the improved terms are referred to as "mobility."

"Mobility has been the main Indian request, and everything else—financial services, banking, education, rules of origin for whisky, etc.—depends on it," a senior UK government source told The Times.

"And Suella has gone and pulled the rug from under that mobility ask," he added.

A UK government source who spoke with Indian officials involved with trade negotiations said: "They were apoplectic. Mad doesn’t even come close to describing how angry they are."

Truss had hoped that the trade agreement would be concluded on October 24. However, that deadline had been doubtful, according to a source in the UK government who said that only 40 percent of the deal's chapters had been finished.