ONLY high skilled EU workers who have well-paid job offers would be allowed into Britain after Brexit, under a new plan being studied by the Home Secretary.
The Sun can reveal that Amber Rudd is looking at adopting a tough work permit system that would dramatically slash new arrivals from the rest of Europe.
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Simply the best ... only high skilled EU workers would be allowed into Britain after BrexitCredit: Getty Images
Drawn up by campaign group Migration Watch UK, it sets a high bar on both salary and skills for newcomers - matching the test for immigrants who come to the UK to work from the rest of the world now.
Experts estimate the system would slash immigration to Britain by EU job seekers by as much as four fifths.
A total of 80% of all who came to the UK in the last 10 years to work were low skilled.
Migration Watch UK also say it would slash 100,000 off the net number of annual newcomers to the country, which is currently at a near record 327,000 year.
But crucially for businesses and hospitals, the system would also preserve the ability to fill gaps in skill areas where the independent Migration Advisory Council declares there are shortages, such as nursing now.
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Grand plans ... Amber Rudd is looking at adopting a tough work permit system that would dramatically slash new arrivals from the rest of EuropeCredit: Getty Images
It would leave EU citizens able to come to Britain whenever they wanted without visas to do business or for tourism.
Whitehall sources said last night that Theresa May and her No10 aides are “keen” on the system of work permits with high bars.
Mrs Rudd will be briefed on the plan in person by Lord Green, Migration Watch UK’s chairman, next week.
But Mrs May wants to keep her thinking quiet at the moment so as not to expose her negotiating hand with other EU leaders during exit talks.
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Mass appeal ... according to Whitehall sources, Theresa May and her No10 aides are “keen” on the system of work permits with high barsCredit: Getty Images
News of the latest thinking will anger other European leaders, who want the UK to keep open some freedom of movement to and from the continent.
The work permits system is one of the most stringent types of controls on long term immigration available, and would offer no concessions to EU workers.
But campaigners insist it is the only way to be sure of driving down numbers.
Lord Green told The Sun last night: “The government will gain little if it tries to trade immigration concessions for concessions on trade.
“We risk getting negotiations bogged down in a quagmire if we do.”
On the downsides to the proposal, former ambassador Lord Green added: “The UK’s service sector will obviously be affected by the loss of an endless supply of cheap labour from Europe.
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Scotched ... the PM last week rejected an Australian-style points based system pushed by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during the EU referendum campaignCredit: Getty Images
“However the present work force will be here for several years yet so employers will have time to adjust, perhaps by increasing wages and conditions for British workers.”
Ms Rudd said on Sunday that a work permits system “has value”, in the strongest hint yet on what ministers want.
The PM last week rejected an Australian-style points based system pushed by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during the EU referendum campaign for failing to get numbers down.
