An Australian-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been in the works since 2015, but has fallen down over two key stumbling blocks:
- The Australian Government wants improved agricultural access for Australian farmers into the protected Indian market; and
- The Indian government wants easier access for its citizens and students to live and work in Australia.
After multiple rounds of negotiation, Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan is set to announce the completion of a deal later this week:
“I’m hoping that we will be able to do it over the next few days,” Mr Tehan told ABC Radio National on Monday.
“These are tough discussions and obviously in the end we’ve got to make sure it is in our national interest and … in India’s national interest.
“My hope would be we would have something by the end of this week or early next week.”
While details are scant, Indian media last month confirmed that improved visa access for Indian workers and students is a key requirement.
For example, the Times of India reported that the FTA could give Indian students an additional three to five years of work rights, as well as making it easier for Aussie businesses to employ Indians:
India and Australia are discussing the possibility of giving Indian students Down Under visas for an additional period of three-five years as part of the bilateral trade agreement that is under negotiations.
Easier visa access for Indian students in Australia as well as some of the professionals is a key demand from New Delhi…
The Indian Express noted similar:
Tehan also noted that both countries are also looking at mutual recognition of educational qualifications to boost the number of Indian students seeking education in Australia…
[Indian] Commerce minister Piyush Goyal said… India is also likely to seek easier visa access for both students and professionals visiting Australia…
An Indian FTA must not include immigration clauses. Immigration is covered in Australia’s ‘Migration Programme’, and there is little sense in negotiating away control of our sovereign borders to another nation – and in the process diluting Australian wages and working conditions – for slightly improved market access.
FTAs should be for trade and nothing else. Leave immigration out these agreements.
Australia’s union movement and Labor need to push back hard against this deal, which looks to be unambiguously negative for Australian workers.
