Ex-post facto approval of the Ministry of External Affairs’ proposal to sign and ratify the Migration and Mobility Agreement between the Governments of the Italian Republic and the Republic of India has been granted by the Union Cabinet, which is led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The Agreement would improve people-to-people relations, encourage student, skilled worker, business, and young professional mobility, and promote bilateral cooperation on irregular migration concerns.
The Agreement locks-in the current Italian visa regime including mechanisms for post study opportunities, internships, professional trainings assuring an advantage for India under the existing labour mobility pathways under the Flows Decree.
Some of the key provisions are listed below:
- Indian students wishing to gather initial professional experience, after completing academic/vocational training in Italy may be granted temporary residence in Italy for up to 12 months.
- The Italian side has detailed provisions related to Professional Training, Extracurricular Internships and Curricular Internships which allow Indian students/trainees to gain experience in Italian skill/training standards.
- For workers, the Italian side has reserved a quota of 5000, 6000 and 7000 non seasonal Indian workers for 2023, 2024 and 2025 under the current Flows Decree (Total reserved quota stands at 12000 for non-seasonal workers). Additionally, the Italian side has reserved a quota of 3000, 4000 and 5000 seasonal Indian workers for 2023, 2024 and 2025 under current Flows Decree (Total reserved quota stands at 8000 for seasonal workers).
Under the Flows Decree, Italian side has offered incremental reserved quotas for both seasonal and non-seasonal workers from 2023-2025. Additionally, the Agreement also formalises joint working on furthering mobility pathways between India and Italy through agreements on Youth Mobility and Facilitation of Recruitment of Indian qualified professionals in the healthcare and medical services sectors which will be discussed under the Joint Working Group (JWG).
Cooperation between the two parties in fight against irregular migration has also been formalised through the Agreement.
This 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 by which Parties shall have communicated to each other the completion of their internal procedures necessary for its entry into force and will remain into force for a period of 5 years. Unless terminated by any Participant, the Agreement will be automatically renewed for a similar successive period.
The Agreement provides a formal mechanism for its monitoring through a JWG which would meet periodically, in virtual or physical mode as convenient, and oversee its implementation. The JWG would share relevant information, evaluate implementation of Agreement and discuss all appropriate proposals to support implementation as necessary.
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