On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval to India’s Migration and Mobility Agreement with Italy. The agreement, signed on November 2 between the two nations, aims to provide Indian students with temporary residence in Italy for up to one year after completing their studies, allowing them to gain professional experience.
The agreement was inked by India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, and his Italian counterpart, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The bill aims to bolster people-to-people connections, facilitate the movement of students, skilled workers, business individuals, and young professionals, and reinforce collaboration on matters related to irregular migration between the two nations.
The legislation would additionally secure advantages for India within the existing labour mobility pathways outlined in the Flows Decree. It effectively preserves the current Italian visa framework, encompassing provisions for post-study opportunities, internships, and professional training.
As per the agreement, Indian students would be granted extra permanent residency for a maximum of 12 months, even after completion of their studies. Once they have finished their academic and vocational training in Italy, this will assist them in gaining their first professional experience.
Italy also listed provisions related to professional training, extracurricular internships, and curricular internships for Indians.
Under the existing Flows Decree, Italy has allocated quotas for non-seasonal Indian workers, with 5,000, 6,000, and 7,000 slots for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. Additionally, for seasonal Indian workers, Italy has reserved quotas of 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 for the same respective years under the current Flows Decree.
The Flow Decree is a system designed to determine the allocation of visas for non-European Union (EU) citizens seeking entry into Italy for purposes such as employment, self-employment, or seasonal work.
It is anticipated that the accord will also formalize a deal between the two countries on professional employment in the healthcare and medical services industries. It will additionally assist Italy and India in formalizing the unofficial labour migration from India.
According to the agreement, a joint working group will oversee and monitor irregular migration through the established formal mechanism. This joint working group is scheduled to convene at regular intervals, utilizing both virtual and physical modes of meetings.
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