New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given ex-post facto approval to the Ministry of External Affairs’ proposal to sign and ratify the Migration and Mobility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Italian Republic.
The Agreement aims to enhance people-to-people contacts, promote the mobility of students, skilled workers, business people, and young professionals, and strengthen cooperation on issues related to irregular migration between the two sides. It solidifies the current Italian visa regime, including mechanisms for post-study opportunities, internships, and professional training, ensuring an advantage for India under the existing labour mobility pathways outlined in the Flows Decree.
Key provisions of the Agreement include:
Indian students seeking initial professional experience after completing academic/vocational training in Italy may be granted temporary residence for up to 12 months.
The Italian side outlines detailed provisions related to Professional Training, Extracurricular Internships, and Curricular Internships, allowing Indian students/trainees to gain experience in Italian skill/training standards.
For workers, the Italian side has reserved quotas for both seasonal and non-seasonal Indian workers for 2023-2025 under the current Flows Decree.
The Agreement also formalizes joint efforts to enhance mobility pathways between India and Italy through agreements on Youth Mobility and the Facilitation of Recruitment of Indian-qualified professionals in the healthcare and medical services sectors. These matters will be discussed under the Joint Working Group (JWG).
Cooperation between the two parties in the fight against irregular migration is also formalized through the Agreement.
The Agreement will come into effect on the first day of the second month following the date of receipt of the last of the two notifications, through which Parties communicate the completion of their internal procedures necessary for its entry into force. It will remain in force for a period of 5 years and will be automatically renewed for a similar successive period unless terminated by any Participant.
The Agreement provides a formal monitoring mechanism through a JWG, which will meet periodically, either virtually or physically, as convenient, to oversee its implementation. The JWG will share relevant information, evaluate the implementation of the Agreement, and discuss any appropriate proposals to support implementation as necessary.
The Agreement was signed on November 2, 2023, by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on the Indian side and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, on the Italian side.