To enhance people-to-people contacts, foster mobility of students, skilled workers, business people, and young professionals, and strengthen cooperation on issues related to irregular migration between the two sides, an Agreement was signed on 2 November 2023 by External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar on the Indian side and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Shri Antonio Tajani on the Italian side.

Today, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the Migration and Mobility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Italian Republic.

The Agreement locks in the current Italian visa regime including mechanisms for post-study opportunities, internships, and professional training assuring an advantage for India under the existing labor mobility pathways under the Flows Decree.

Some of the key provisions are listed below:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 (The 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 the current Flows Decree (The total reserved quota stands at 8000 for seasonal workers).

Under the Flows Decree, the Italian side has offered incremental re­served quotas for both seasonal and non-seasonal workers from 2023-2025. Cooperation between the two parties in fight against irregular migration has also been formalized 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 5 years.

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 the implementation of the Agreement, and discuss all appropriate proposals to support implementation as necessary.