Indian Council of World Affairs

Thank ILO, ICMPD and ICWA for organising this event, in collaboration with MEA. 

EU India relationship:

The EU and India have a long-standing relationship when it comes to migration and mobility. The EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, signed in 2016, sets the framework for our partnership in a balanced way, promoting opportunities for legal migration and addressing irregular migration. Our annual EU-India High-level Dialogue on Migration and Mobility supports implementation of our common goals towards well-managed migration and mobility. Within this context, facilitating EU-India student mobility has been recognised as an important area where we can work together.

EU India student mobility:

• Movements of people and talent have become an important aspect of our bilateral cooperation.
• Since 1990, there has been an eightfold increase in the number of Indian nationals migrating to the European Union reaching around 750,000 at the end of 2022.
• India ranks as top recipient of Erasmus+ scholarship since its inception.
• Over 80,000 Indian students are studying in Europe, reflecting a growing appreciation for the continent's diverse academic offerings, rich cultural heritage, and unparalleled opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Annually a European Higher Education Fair is organised gathering students and over 70 EU based higher education institutions (HEIs) from 21 EU Member States, highlighting the programs on offer throughout the EU.

EU Higher Education Scenario:

• The EU is the world’s leading destination for higher education accounting for 25% of the world’s top 200 Higher Educational Institutes in the world.
• With more than 5,000 institutions, 17.5 million tertiary education students, 1.35 million educators, and 1.17 million researchers, Europe is a thriving hub for higher education and research.
• Most EU Member States allow international students to work part-time while studying.
• Given these favourable conditions, the EU is proud to continue to promote popular study destinations within the European Union.

Why are we gathered here today?

• With many EU Member States seeking to fill labour shortages, Indian students are not only “ambassadors of the partnership between the EU and India” but also increasingly considered as skilled labour in key economic sectors (IT, hospitality, services, tourism).
• Several EU MS are interested in facilitating the mobility of students and researchers to/from India (just look at the plethora of national associations present here today).
• While the cooperation on facilitating student mobility between Indian and the EU MS represents largely positive agenda, there are some less positive aspects. Students from India wanting to study in Europe, often utilise the services of educational consultants/agents who should help them navigate the local landscape and facilitate recruitment of students for EU Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
• At the same time, European HEIs are often obliged to work with educational consultants in India given their lack of awareness of the local realities and given the size of the Indian market.
• EU Member States often stress the challenges their visa consular staff face in ensuring that only deserving students are issued travel documents - misinformation and fraudulent supporting documents, to name a few.
• It is therefore important to be mindful of the types of services on offer in India through untrustworthy agents or consultants and to ensure that there is sufficient awareness and access to information and tools, which help make a distinction between legitimate and unscrupulous agents, and protect and promote bonafide students going to the EU.

Concluding remarks

• Today’s exchange represents a continuity of our joint efforts to support all facets of mobility within the EU-India corridor. This workshop is organised as part of the second phase of the EU-funded action – the EU-India Cooperation and Dialogue on Migration and Mobility
• Through this project we aim to promote shared understanding of regular migration pathways but also of the perils of irregular migration, contribute to evidence-based policymaking, support awareness raising, communication and information dissemination.
• The Phase 1 of the CAMM support project, funded by the EU, designed, and delivered a series of support resources (checklists, podcast, reference tool).
• Happy to report that efforts continue to be made by both EU and Indian government, through the EU-India CAMM support project – implemented by ILO, ICMPD, ICWA – to offer free and trustworthy resources to Indian and European students (checklists), higher education institutions’ international offices in Europe and India (reference tool), and to the private sector. And this workshop is part of these ongoing efforts.
• We have several EU Member States participating in the workshop today which underlines the importance of the topic we are about to discuss and I look forward hearing from them.
• By working together, we can create a framework that not only facilitates the flow of labour and talent but also ensures that migration occurs in a safe, orderly, and dignified manner

I wish us all fruitful, in-depth and pragmatic discussions. 

Special Thanks to Government of India, EU MS, Participants, and the Project Implementing Organisations.

*****