The Home Secretary says people ‘will only be able to come here’ if they have a job offer and can speak English
The UK’s new Home Secretary Priti Patel has vowed to toughen immigration laws and impose restrictions on workers from the EU.
Ms Patel said she would create an immigration system “where we decide who comes here based on what they have to offer,” with priority given to “brilliant scientists, academics and highly-skilled workers that we want to see more of.”
The Home Secretary’s own parents migrated to the UK from Uganda in the 1960s, setting up a corner shop that developed into a chain of businesses.
‘Daughter of immigrants’
Writing in The Mail on Sunday, she said: “As a daughter of immigrants, I know the immense benefits immigration can bring.”
She added: “When it’s well managed, migration works in the national interest, for our communities, economy and country.
“But we must bring back confidence to our approach and ensure that it works for our nation in the right way and for the right reasons.”
Ms Patel said that Brexit would impose new restrictions on workers from the EU, adding: “We’ll give top priority to those with the highest skills and the greatest talents – to attract those who add the most value to our economy.
“These skilled workers will only be able to come here if they have a job offer from an employer registered with the Home Office, and if they can speak English.
“The end of free movement means that we will be able to consider the impact on the existing labour market when determining whether we want unskilled workers from the EU to be able to come to the UK.”
She continued: “Rather than automatically relying on low-skilled labour from abroad, our new approach means British businesses will have to back our people.
“They must invest in training, technology and to increase domestic skill levels.”Some industries are already experiencing a shortage in low-skilled workers, with the National Farmers’ Union warning of a 20 per cent shortfall in seasonal workers needed on UK farms due to existing immigration restrictions.
In December, an immigration white paper published by then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid proposed excluding workers who do not meet a minimum salary threshold of £30,000.
