Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited India on Wednesday, October 8th, for the first time since taking office, promoting the new UK–India trade agreement signed this summer.
While praising economic opportunities, Starmer tried to make it clear that expanding visa access for Indian professionals, let alone skilled or semi-skilled workers, was not on the agenda.
The two-day trip included meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and what Modi called the “largest ever UK trade delegation.”
Under the new trade deal, India will cut tariffs on British goods like whisky and cosmetics, while the UK will lower duties on Indian textiles and food products. Starmer said the agreement would create jobs and deepen economic ties, but stressed that migration policy would remain unchanged.
“Visa expansion isn’t part of the plan,” he told reporters, emphasizing that the focus was on implementing the free trade deal rather than easing movement between the two countries.
Despite calls from rights groups and business leaders to relax visa rules for skilled Indian workers, Starmer’s government has maintained a firm stance on migration, prioritizing trade and investment over labor mobility. However, the surge in mass migration to the UK—legal and illegal—during the first phase of a Labour government means his words will not be taken seriously.
