Rishi Sunak’s British government is in talks with India over whether to increase the number of business visas granted to Indian nationals under a possible trade deal, a stance that risks causing tension in the new prime minister’s top team .

Business visas remain an area of ​​”active negotiation” in discussions, Trade Secretary Greg Hands told the House of Commons on Wednesday. He said talks on the majority of the deal have been completed.

The government is trying to highlight the benefits of Brexit by complementing the new trade deals it has struck since leaving the European Union, and Hands said a deal with India will give exporters better access to a billion consumers. But the easing of visa rules could also put Sunak – the first British Prime Minister of Indian descent – on a collision course with Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who recently expressed her concerns about the rules.

Braverman, a hard-line Brexiteer whose parents are also both of Indian origin, appeared to be opposed to a more liberal visa policy in an interview with the Spectator earlier this month, saying: “I have some reservations. Look at migration in this country – the largest group of overstayers are Indian migrants.”

Sunak is already under pressure to reappoint Braverman to the post, which she resigned just a week ago over a security breach she herself acknowledged flouted ministerial rules.

Braverman also told the Spectator that she has “concerns about an open border migration policy with India because I don’t think people voted for it on Brexit”.

Not immigration

At the time, the British press reported that her comments provoked the ire of former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who had called for more flexible migration policies in her short-lived bid to boost growth.

But Hands suggested that increasing the number of temporary business visas for Indians is a separate issue from permanent migration. “In the area of ​​trade, we speak of mode 4 agreements. These are not immigration regulations. These relate to non-permanent business visas,” he said.

About 16 chapters in 26 policy areas have been agreed so far, according to Hands, who said talks will resume “shortly”.

“We are working towards the best deal for both sides and will not sign it until we have an agreement that is fair, reciprocal and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and British economy,” said Hands.