India has asked EU to liberalize its visa regime to facilitate hassle-free migration of skilled workforce. India has stressed that liberalized visa regime is important for free flow of businessmen and skilled professionals from the country to the continent. The appeal from India came during the ninth Indo-EU summit in Marseilles.

 

India and EU have agreed to expedite negotiations for a broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement by next year to double the India-EU trade turnover to 100 billion euro by 2013. However, the major contention from India side is the stringent visa regime of EU. Even, there has been admission of the same from EC (European Commission) President Manuel Barroso that skilled professionals from India face problem in migration.

 

Borroso informed that on the pattern of Green Card of USA, EU is working on the 'Blue Card.' However, the major reason behind the stringent visa regime according to Naline Surie, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, is that the EU has some concerns over illegal migrants coming to the region. Naline Surie said that India has agreed to take illegal migrant workers back, so no issues.