The PM insists her new post-Brexit immigration plan will be revolutionary because ‘it will be the UK Government that decides who comes here’
BRITAIN will take back control of its borders for the first time in decades after we quit the EU, Theresa May today vowed.
The Prime Minister insisted her long-awaited plan for immigration post-Brexit will be revolutionary because “it will be the UK Government that decides who comes here”.
She said the new proposals, unveiled with the Home Secretary Sajid Javid, would “deliver on people’s vote in the referendum”.
Speaking to LBC, Mrs May said they “take back control of our borders, brings an end to free movement once and for all”.
Adding: “And it's an immigration policy that will be based in the future, not on where people come from, but on what they can contribute to our economy.
“So, to be based on skills. But for the first time for decades it will be the UK government that would be deciding who can come here.”
Under the biggest shake up to immigration for years, the PM vowed:
The PM also spoke about the plans, which will see high-skilled workers will be given priority over those who head to the UK for low-paid jobs, to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Under the proposals, applicants from any country wanting to settle in Britain will have to meet a salary threshold, and will only be able to bring their family to live with them if they are sponsored by their employers.
However she conceded Brits might have to fill in Esta-style visa waiver forms to visit the EU after Brexit.
Mrs May said: “The question of business travel, the question of tourism, will be part of the negotiations with the European Union.
“We have put forward a set of proposals that would enable people to continue to travel for tourism to the European Union and for tourists from the EU to come here.”
The Tory leader, who is at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham, said EU workers could still get some preferential treatment when coming to the UK.
But she said there would be no general exemptions for industries reliant on low-skilled labour like the care sector.
The PM explained: “There is one area where we have said we will look at a system, which is agricultural workers.
“We have already said we are putting a pilot scheme into place in relation to agricultural workers.
“But those are seasonal workers. Those are people who come here for a limited period of time.
“The agricultural industry has said that they would like to see a further scheme, and we have listened to that and we are putting a pilot into place.
“But I’m not saying that suddenly there are going to be lots of different sectors of the economy which are going to have exemptions, which means actually that you no longer have an immigration policy.
“What we are doing is setting an immigration policy which I believe reflects what people in this country want, which is they want to see an end to free movement and they want to ensure that people who come here are contributing to our economy.”
Mr Javid then set out the blueprints in a speech to the conference, after telling a grassroots meeting last night he wanted an open system that allowed Britain to attract the best talent from across the globe.
Speaking at the Spectator fringe event he said: “It’s not nationality that gives you any particular skills.
“We shouldn’t have a system that favours one nationality over another.”
