From CK Nayak
LAUSANNE:India on Tuesday urged Switzerland to allow entry of its labour force into the rich European country.
The issue was discussed by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil with her Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmi-Rey during the former’s visit to Lausanne in Switzerland on Tuesday.
Interestingly, this issue has also become one of the election propaganda in Switzerland with some political parties opposing the same while the ruling coalition treating it as an opportunity to rake in political benefits. The Swiss liberal party said that last year nearly 50,000 unqualified people mostly from the third world countries had immigrated to Switzerland mostly through family reunion.
Immigration from third countries into the Alpine country is subject to quota and comes with a rider of residential permit. The IT sector wants the quota to be increased but only for skilled workers.
Switzerland also wants the immigrating work force to be from one of the culturally closer nations of Europe.
Trying to press upon India’s point, Patil said the country’s growth offers many opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.
“The Indian economy recorded consistently high rates of growth since 2003 and even the global economic downturn had a limited impact,” she mentioned, adding, “Today, India is ranked among the most attractive destinations globally for investments and business and foreign direct investment has increased over the last few years. Since the Indian economy opened up in 1991, Indian companies have faced international competition rather well, and have expanded their global footprint; some are even here in Switzerland.”
“This underlines that the benefits of economic engagement with India, flow in both directions. In many cases these Indian companies have helped Swiss companies retain their competitive edge,” Patil added.
“The overriding priority in India today is to ensure that the benefits of India’s economic growth should reach all sections of society, in particular the poorer sections, so that they too can have a better life. We are also aware of the challenges of ensuring that the aspirations of our youth, who constitute more than 50 per cent of our population, are met; that they have the opportunities to get education and training needed to allow India to garner the demographic dividend,” the President added.
