Not Part Of Plans: Keir Starmer On Why UK Won't Expand Visas For High-Skilled Indian Migrant Workers

UK PM Keir Starmer told journalists that his administration was unable to "unblock" the issue that had initially delayed talks between it and India over expanding visa slots for aspiring Indian migrants seeking employment in the country.

Bloomberg reported that Starmer told journalists on a flight to Mumbai, that the creation of additional visa openings for Indian workers "isn't part of the plans" in the joint free trade agreement that was signed between India and the UK in July.

"The visa situation hasn't changed with the free trade agreement — we didn't open up more visas. "The issue is not about visas - it's about business-to-business engagement and investment and jobs and prosperity coming into the United Kingdom," Starmer told Bloomberg.

He is in Mumbai on a "two-day trade mission to Mumbai" along with a delegation of 125 business executives, entrepreneurs, cultural leaders and university heads from the UK. Starmer and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also deliver a keynote address at the Global Fintech Fest 2025.

The FTA agreement did put into place existing measures which facilitate temporary business travel between the two countries.

Bloomberg noted that Starmer's administration is facing external political pressure on the topic of immigration due to the increasing popularity of the anti-immigrant Reform UK Party.

The PM proposed measures in response to the wave of this anti-immigrant sentiment such as increasing the time needed for a migrant to stay in the country in order for them to be a citizen. Another measure proposed was deciding citizenship for them based on their "contribution" to the UK.

However, some of the members of the delegation Starmer brought with him do not agree with this policy. Rain Newton-Smith, the chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry, said that migration would solve the issues with labour shortages that the country has been having.

Another delegation member Bill Winters, chief executive at Standard Chartered, had previously warned against restricting immigration, saying that it would adversely impact London's talent pool.