UK will not seek a visa deal with India, prime minister Keir Starmer said, as he looks to build on the trade agreement signed between the two countries earlier this year.
Starmer began a two-day trip to India on Wednesday with a trade mission of businesses. The trade deal was agreed in May, signed in July, and is set to come into effect next year.
He said visas had previously blocked progress on a trade deal, but that this issue had been resolved and would not be raised when he meets Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for talks on Thursday.
"That isn't part of the plans," Starmer told reporters en route to India when asked about visas, adding the visit was "to take advantage of the free trade agreement that we've already struck".
"Businesses are taking advantage of that. But the issue is not about visas."
Starmer is taking a more restrictive position on immigration at a time when public concern over the issue is high and his Labour Party trails the Reform UK party in opinion polls.
He ruled out including visas to attract professionals from India in sectors such as technology, following the increase in H-1B visa fees by US president Donald Trump. However, he said more broadly that he wanted Britain to have "top talent".
Asked if he would stop issuing visas to people from countries that refuse to take back foreign criminals or those the UK wants to deport, Starmer said this was a "non-issue" with India because of the existing returns agreement. But he added it was something he would examine more widely.
"We are looking at whether there should be a link between visas and returns agreements," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
FILE PHOTO: A woman walks past a poster displaying a message of defiance to the terror attack of May 22 at the Manchester Arena, in Manchester, northwest England on May 31, 2017. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)