European Union to welcome skilled Indians

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 23, 2017, DHNS: Though US President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ rhetoric has triggered panic in India’s IT industry, the European Union vowed to remain open to admitting more skilled professionals into its member nations.

“Europe is open for people with a high demand. Indian people are highly skilled,” said David McAllister, chairman, European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday. McAllister is currently in New Delhi, leading a delegation of the foreign affairs committee.

“Our IT sector would not have been successful if we did not have skilled professionals from India,” he added, denouncing the protectionist approach of the Trump administration. His comment comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to a delegation of US lawmakers that the Trump administration should have a “reflective, balanced and far-sighted perspective” on the “movement of skilled professionals”.

New Delhi is concerned not only over the Trump administration’s protectionist approach and moves for immigration reforms, but also over efforts to introduce bills in the US Congress to restrict the use of H-1B visas by foreign skilled professionals, including IT workers. McAllister told journalists here that the Trump administration’s protectionist approach triggered panic even in Europe.

Meanwhile, the delegation expressed concern over the delay in the India-EU negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement. McAllister and other members of the delegation will meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, several Union ministers and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

McAllister ruled out the possibility of the EU and European Parliament meddling in the Kashmir dispute. “The reports of human rights violations (in Jammu and Kashmir) have to be settled by the domestic institutions of India,” he said.