The Migrant and Mobility Partnership (MMP) agreement signed by India and UK will help address the issue of illegal migrants which has been an irritant in bilateral relations.

Processes for the return of illegal migrants will be set up following this agreement. This will ensure that skilled Indian professionals have greater access to the UK job market.

A Hindustan Times report said that the negotiations on MMP had been on for quite some time.

The MMP agreement was signed on Tuesday by Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar and UK home secretary Priti Patel.

For a long time UK has been insisting on the return of illegal migrants to India. However, India said adequate time was required to confirm the identity and nationality of such people.

This has been sorted out and a "compromise or a process solution" has been found, the HT report said, citing people having knowledge of the matter.

This will also remove the misunderstanding that India does not want to take back the illegal migrants, they said.

Under the agreement, a scheme has been created which will allow up to 3,000 skilled Indian professionals to access job opportunities in the UK every year for a period of two years, they added.

(IANS)