LONDON: Business leaders and other stakeholders rounded on the Theresa May government on Wednesday after home secretary Amber Rudd announced plans for new visa curbs, with critics claiming the plans marked the return of the “nasty party”.
The term “nasty party” was coined by Prime Minister May in 2002, when the Conservatives were in opposition. After the June 23 vote for Britain to exit the European Union, leaving the bloc was supposed to make the country more global and open to Commonwealth countries such as India, as was often promised by leaders such as Priti Patel and Boris Johnson.
But Rudd’s plans to tighten norms for Indian and other non-EU professionals and students surprised many, including Indians, prompting charges that the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham - where the plans were set out - had become “increasingly xenophobic”.
Manoj Ladwa, chair of Indians for Labour and a strategist during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s May 2014 election campaign, told HT: “There are many British Indians who were taken in by promises during the EU referendum of a ‘sweet deal’ for Indian students and professionals should the UK leave the EU.
“The Conservative Party’s announcement exposes the fallacy of these promises. The Conservative government has not even put Indian tourists at par with Chinese tourists. Indian tourists are still charged much more for visas with less duration than the Chinese. The message coming out from 10 Downing Street is that the UK wants Indian business but not its highly skilled people. This will certainly be problematic for any future trade deal with India.”
{{/usCountry}}“The Conservative Party’s announcement exposes the fallacy of these promises. The Conservative government has not even put Indian tourists at par with Chinese tourists. Indian tourists are still charged much more for visas with less duration than the Chinese. The message coming out from 10 Downing Street is that the UK wants Indian business but not its highly skilled people. This will certainly be problematic for any future trade deal with India.”
{{/usCountry}}Higher education leaders responded cautiously to Rudd’s plans, but reminded of the valuable contribution made by Indian and non-EU students, including adding £7 billion annually to the economy. Nicola Dandridge of Universities UK said: “Polling has shown the British public does not see international students as long-term migrants, but as valuable, temporary visitors.”