India-Finland migration and mobility agreement may get delayed

Finland, which has a rapidly aging population, has tried to attract Indian students and professionals to live and work in the country. India is the first country with which Finland is planning to sign a migration and mobility agreement, according to Finland’s employment minister Tuula Hyäinen.

A joint declaration of intent to conclude the agreement was the highlight of Huttenen’s visit to India in December.

However, complications related to EU immigration law pose an obstacle to an early conclusion of the deal, the people cited above say. Finland needs to address these complications.

The country is a member of the European Union and part of the visa-free Schengen Area, and therefore needs to conclude agreements according to those procedures. Meanwhile, India’s preoccupation with the G20 presidency has also delayed a preliminary agreement.

Questions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment went unanswered at press time.

Finland has moved aggressively to attract Indian professionals and students. in an interview with Peppermint In December, Hattinen said that Indian ICT, healthcare and service professionals were a particular target for Helsinki. The country hopes to double its intake of skilled migrants and triple foreign students in the coming years to replace its rapidly dwindling working-age population.

Finland is home to around 15,000 Indian professionals and 1,300 students. In recent years, the country has made a series of legislative reforms to attract Indian talent. The more liberal student visa program and post-study work are part of the visa changes. According to the persons cited above, Finnish universities are also planning to expand their reach to Indian students with visits of university heads planned in recent months.

For India, which has a vast pool of professionals and students working and studying abroad, migration and mobility agreements are a priority. New Delhi has such agreements with Germany, Britain and Austria. India also agreed to negotiate a similar agreement with Australia in 2020. The Migration and Mobility Partnership serves two purposes. First, they include provisions to allow easy movement of talent and professionals across borders. Second, they help address important issues such as illegal immigration.