The European Union has moved to open wider legal pathways for Indian workers and businesses after concluding its partnership deal with New Delhi on Tuesday, as Brussels and India finalized a long-awaited free trade agreement and a comprehensive framework on mobility.
Speaking at the EU–India Business Forum in New Delhi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement marked “a momentous day for the EU-India relationship,” describing India and the EU as “trusted and reliable strategic partners” in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
🇪🇺🇮🇳JUST IN: Europeans can expect significantly higher immigraiton levels from India, following the EU's new trade deal.
The EU's "agreement on mobility," with India will involve "the movement of students, researchers, seasonal and highly skilled workers" to Europe.
The "EU… pic.twitter.com/A7Lt0wlY0D
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) January 27, 2026“Together, Europe and India are creating the world’s largest trading zones,” von der Leyen said, announcing the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement. She said the deal would provide “clear rules, stable market access, and long-term confidence to invest,” uniting two major economies representing around two billion people and roughly a quarter of global GDP.
Beyond trade, the agreement explicitly advances labor mobility. In their joint statement, the EU and India confirmed the conclusion of a Comprehensive Framework of Cooperation on Mobility, aimed at facilitating the movement of workers, particularly in high-skill and shortage sectors. The framework includes legal pathways for Indian professionals, students, researchers, and seasonal workers. Von der Leyen caveated loosening the restrictions on Indian migrants by pledging both sides’ commitment to “safe, regular, and orderly migration,” without elaborating on how this looks in practice.
As part of the initiative, the EU has launched the first pilot European Legal Gateway Office, described as a one-stop hub to support the movement of workers, starting with the information and communications technology sector. Brussels and New Delhi also agreed to deepen cooperation on skills development, recognition of qualifications, and education through a new Education and Skills Dialogue to be launched in 2026.
Von der Leyen said trade alone was not enough. “Trade connects economies, but investment anchors them,” she told business leaders, arguing that deeper investment would lock in long-term partnerships and resilience.
The agreements were formalized during a state visit by European Council President Antonio Costa and von der Leyen, who were guests of honour at India’s Republic Day celebrations
While the EU emphasized that cooperation on migration would remain within national competences of member states, the language of the deal signals a clear political push in Brussels to attract skilled Indian labor as Europe faces demographic decline.
Major European nations had already seen record increases in Indian immigration before this deal was signed. In the United Kingdom, for example, which recently concluded its own agreement with New Delhi, historical ties had already seen a large Indian community established in the country. A report from 2022 revealed that more real estate in London is owned by Indian proprietors than by the native English population.
Following the conclusion of the UK-India free trade agreement last year, the left-wing Labour government was accused of giving tax breaks to companies that prioritize importing Indian workers over employing Brits.
The deal extended an exemption on National Insurance contributions (NICs) from one to three years for Indian migrants, meaning foreign workers could be more attractive to employ over the native population.
Similarly, in Germany, official statistics published last year showed the number of Indians living in Berlin went from 3,579 in 2014 to 41,472 in 2024. That represents a 1,059 percent increase in 10 years, and accounts for the largest immigrant influx to the city during that time in terms of growth.
Outside of Berlin, Indians also make up a huge number of newcomers, totaling 274,910 nationals as of November 2024, according to the Central Register of Foreign Nationals. India is ranked fifth overall in terms of countries where more people immigrated than emigrated, ranking behind Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey.
