Pritti Patel was today accused of being too hard and too soft on immigration.
The new plans announced by the home office, which will come into effect at the end of the Brexit transition period, were criticised by the British Chambers of Commerce, Confederation of British Industry and the Freight Transport Association, among others, for potential hampering the ability of British business to attract the necessary talent, with the Institute of Directors fearing that the country’s ‘economic dynamism’ may be hit.
SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, was characteristically scathing.
‘Tory immigration policy is offensive in principle,’ she said.
’It labels vital workers, making a big contribution as 'low skilled' and slams the door in their faces. And it is disastrous in practice. It will badly damage our economy. We must get powers to create policy for our needs and values.’
Interviewing the home secretary on his LBC radio show, Nick Ferrari mischievously suggested that Ms Patel’s own parents wouldn’t have been allowed into the country under these rules.
With a number of people attacking the proposals for being too strict, you might have expected Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage to be all in favour of the plans. But this was not the case.
‘The fact we’re introducing criteria for who can come into the country that is a huge step in the right direction and something the British public very much wants,’ he said.
‘The problem is the criteria itself suggests to me that the numbers of people coming into the country from outside the EU will be even bigger than they are today.
‘With no caps on numbers we have the possibility that this system means more immigration, not less.’
Under the plans, individuals wishing to work in the UK, regardless of the country from which they come, will have to be awarded a certain number of ‘points’ in order to work in the UK.
Fifty points will be awarded to applicants who can speak English and who have secured a job offer from an approved sponsor at a level that suits their skills. But seventy points will be required for entry, with additional points given based on proposed salary, qualifications and labour shortages in the applicant’s sector.
The minimum general salary threshold will be £25,600, but different levels may be set on a sector-by-sector basis.
A policy paper issued on the proposals said: “For too long, distorted by European free movement rights, the immigration system has been failing to meet the needs of the British people. Failing to deliver benefits across the UK and failing the highly-skilled migrants from around the world who want to come to the UK and make a contribution to our economy and society.”
During her interview with Mr Ferrari, Ms Patel responded to some of the criticism directly:
‘This isn’t about my background or my parents. This is a very different system to what has gone on in the past, it’s a point based system based on the labour market.
‘We are not changing our approach to refugees or asylum seekers which is very different to a points-based system. The policy is changing so it’s fit for purpose for our economy that is based on skills, it’s not about refugees and asylum and people who are being persecuted around the world. We must differentiate between the two.’
