Indian Diaspora in Europe — UK, Rishi Sunak & UPSC Notes (UPSC International Relations)
UPSC guide to Indian diaspora in Europe: UK, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Rishi Sunak PM, mobility partnerships, 2024-26 updates and policy.
Europe hosts the third-largest region of the Indian diaspora — after the Gulf and North America — anchored by the United Kingdom’s 1.9 million Indian-origin population. From Rishi Sunak’s 2022-24 premiership to new mobility partnerships with Germany, Italy, Austria, Portugal and Greece, Europe has become a laboratory for India’s new diaspora-driven migration diplomacy. For UPSC GS-II, the Europe diaspora intersects with bilateral ties, Brexit, CBAM and the India-EU trade negotiations.
Size and distribution (2024-25)
| Country | Indian-origin population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ~1,900,000 | ~2.8% |
| Germany | ~230,000 | ~0.3% |
| Netherlands | ~125,000 | ~0.7% |
| Italy | ~200,000 | ~0.33% |
| Republic of Ireland | ~91,500 | ~1.9% |
| Portugal | ~70,000+ | ~0.7% |
| France | ~110,000 | ~0.17% |
| Russia | ~40,000 | ~0.03% |
| Spain | ~40,000 | ~0.08% |
| Norway | ~15,000 | ~0.03% |
| Switzerland | ~14,000 | ~0.02% |
| Sweden | ~30,000 | ~0.3% |
Historical roots
- Oldest Indian presence: Students and lascars in the UK from the 18th century.
- 20th century mainstream migration:
- Post-war UK labour shortages (1950s-60s) attracted workers from Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala.
- Portuguese rule in Goa (till 1961), Indonesia, Mozambique triggered migration to Portugal.
- Surinamese Indians migrated to the Netherlands; Indo-Mauritians to France.
- East African Indian expulsions (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania in 1970s) pushed "twice migrants" to the UK.
- Post-1990 migration: IT professionals, students, researchers, financial services.
United Kingdom — the flagship diaspora
Size and profile
- ~1.9 million Indian-origin people; largest ethnic minority from a single country.
- Income: Among the highest-earning ethnic groups; strong representation in finance, medicine, IT, retail.
- Prominent industrialists: Lakshmi Mittal (ArcelorMittal), Hinduja Brothers, Swraj Paul.
Political prominence
- Rishi Sunak — Prime Minister (Oct 2022 to July 2024); first PM of Indian origin.
- Other MPs and ministers: Priti Patel, Suella Braverman, Alok Sharma, Shailesh Vara, Virendra Sharma, Seema Malhotra; Kemi Badenoch now Conservative leader (half-Nigerian).
- Lord Swraj Paul, Lord Meghnad Desai, Lord Karan Bilimoria in the Lords.
- Keith Vaz — longest-serving Indian-origin MP till 2019 (Leicester East).
Trade and partnership
- UK-India FTA — signed in February-March 2025 after 14 rounds of negotiations.
- Mobility and Migration Partnership (2021) — young professionals' scheme.
- Living Bridge concept — cultural bridge between India and the UK.
Challenges
- Khalistan extremism — 2023 attack on Indian High Commission in London; ongoing anti-India rallies.
- Tighter UK visa regime (2024): Minimum salary thresholds raised; dependants' rules tightened.
- Student visa changes — dependants mostly disallowed from 2024.
Germany
- ~230,000 Indian-origin people — fastest-growing Indian community in continental Europe.
- Germany declared India its "strategic partner of choice for skilled migration" in 2024.
- India Strategy (2023) — Germany's broader economic and mobility partnership.
- Focus: IT, engineering, nursing, hospitality.
- Blue Card visa route widely used.
- Chancellor Scholz's India visit (Oct 2024) and Bengaluru-based engagement.
Italy
- ~200,000 Indian-origin; largest groups in Lombardy, Punjab-origin in dairy farming.
- 2023: India-Italy Strategic Partnership upgraded.
- 2024: Apulia G7 Summit — Modi attended at Italy's invitation.
- Italian dairy sector heavily reliant on Punjabi Sikh workforce.
Netherlands
- ~125,000 Indian-origin; major community is Indo-Surinamese (twice migrants).
- Rotterdam, Amsterdam, The Hague hubs.
- Growing IT and finance professionals.
Ireland
- ~91,500 Indian-origin; fastest-growing ethnic group.
- Leo Varadkar — former Taoiseach (2017-20, 2022-24).
- IT, pharma, medical sectors.
Portugal
- ~70,000+ Indian-origin; Goan, Gujarati, Punjabi communities.
- Former PM António Costa — Goan heritage; now European Council President (since Dec 2024).
- Agricultural labour and hospitality; Portuguese-nationality route attracts many Indians.
France
- ~110,000 Indian-origin; concentrated in Paris, Reunion, Guadeloupe/Martinique links.
- India-France strategic partnership strong (Rafales, ISRO-CNES, nuclear).
- AI Summit Paris (Feb 2025) — India co-chaired; diaspora scientific community central.
Scandinavia
- Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland — growing skilled migration.
- Indian IT, medicine, academia; small but visible.
Russia and Eastern Europe
- Russia: ~40,000; business and students.
- Poland, Czechia, Hungary: Growing IT professionals; Indian students in medicine and engineering.
Strategic and economic significance
- Trade and investment bridge — India-EU trade ~€125 billion (2023); FTA under negotiation.
- Technology partnership — Fraunhofer (Germany), CNRS (France), UK research councils.
- Skill-mobility corridors — Germany, Italy, Austria, Greece, UK via Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreements.
- Political influence — Rishi Sunak, Costa, Varadkar shaped major European policies.
- Academic diplomacy — Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Sciences Po, TU Munich, Uppsala large Indian student bases.
Challenges
- Brexit fallout — rules for Indian professionals in UK tightened.
- Visa backlogs — post-COVID consular delays.
- Xenophobia and populist politics — rise of far-right parties in Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, France.
- Islamophobia and caste controversies — impact on Indian communities.
- Khalistan extremism — London, Birmingham, Frankfurt, The Hague incidents.
- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): Affects diaspora-linked exporters.
Latest developments (2024-26)
- UK-India FTA signed (Feb-March 2025).
- Rishi Sunak's exit from PM office (July 2024) — legacy continues through diaspora networks.
- Antonio Costa as European Council President (Dec 2024) — Goan-heritage Portuguese elevated to EU leadership.
- Germany-India Migration and Mobility Partnership (Oct 2024).
- France AI Summit Paris (Feb 2025) — Modi co-chaired; diaspora showcased.
- Italy Apulia G7 (June 2024) — Modi participant.
- Ireland (2024) — Indians surpass other non-EU groups in new arrivals.
- Greek Mobility MoU (2024) — farm labour corridor.
- Austria-India Mobility MoU (2024).
- Russia-Ukraine war: Constrained Indian student presence in Russia and Eastern Europe.
- Red Sea crisis (2024-26): Rerouted trade; impact on Indian diaspora-linked shipping.
- Israel-Hamas ceasefire (Jan 2025): Relief for Indian workers in Israel (under MoU) and European supply chains.
- India-Maldives reset (Oct 2024): European maritime actors reassured.
- BRICS+ expansion (Jan 2024): Complicates EU-India geopolitics; India balances.
- G20 Rio (Nov 2024): European G7 members shape MDB reform alongside India.
- Canada escalation (Oct 2024): Affects UK and Germany's posture on Khalistan monitoring.
- Trump 2.0 (Jan 2025): US tariffs push EU closer to India for strategic hedging.
Way forward
- Mobility Partnerships 2.0 — expand beyond bilateral MoUs to EU-India framework.
- Diaspora-led research links — joint programmes in AI, quantum, climate.
- Counter radicalisation — Interpol, bilateral mechanisms with UK, Netherlands.
- CBAM dialogue — protect Indian exporters via diaspora-led advocacy.
- Education hubs — Indian universities opening campuses in EU, and vice versa.
- Culture and film — Bollywood collaborations, cricket outreach in post-Brexit UK.
UPSC Relevance
GS-II: "Indian diaspora; bilateral, regional and global groupings."
Probable questions
- Evaluate the role of the Indian diaspora in shaping India-EU and India-UK relations. (15 marks)
- How do migration and mobility partnerships with European states address skill shortages and demographic decline? (10 marks)
- Discuss the significance of Rishi Sunak's premiership for Indian diaspora politics. (10 marks)
Prelims trigger words — Living Bridge, UK-India FTA, Mobility and Migration Partnership, Blue Card, Antonio Costa European Council President, Rishi Sunak, Dadabhai Naoroji, Lakshmi Mittal, CBAM, Apulia G7.
The Europe diaspora combines deep history, political influence and skilled migration potential. As Europe faces demographic decline and Asia-Pacific competition intensifies, India's diaspora advantage is strategic — if the mobility plumbing and political friction can be managed in parallel.