British immigration minister to visit India
By IANSSunday, August 22, 2010
NEW DELHI - British Immigration Minister Damian Green will begin his first visit to India Monday. The three-day visit will focus on what Britain’s immigration policy means for Indian businesses and on tackling illegal immigration.
“When David Cameron came to India at the end of last month, he came with a clear purpose - to take the UK-India relationship to a new level, to make it stronger, wider, deeper. This ambition was warmly welcomed by our Indian counterparts and friends,” said Green in a statement.
“As Britain’s Minister for Immigration, I recognise I have a key role in taking this new enterprise forward. I look forward to using my visit to explain the changes underway in the UK’s immigration system and the reasons for them,” he added.
On the British government’s new immigration policy, he said: “It is not about erecting barriers and closing doors, but delivering controlled immigration with a faster and fairer system.”
The visit includes a meeting with educationists and senior business representatives to take forward the dialogue as part of the broader consultation process in Britain’s immigration policy.
Green will also be visiting Chandigarh to thank the Punjab Government for its co-operation with Britain on immigration.
