A bold bid to control our porous borders

FOR far too long, immigration has been the single most toxic and divisive issue in British politics.

Anyone in favour of tighter controls, or arguing that free movement placed intolerable pressure on the NHS, schools and housing, was instantly condemned by the liberal establishment as a bigoted little Englander.

But in the end, the honest concerns of millions of ordinary people about the effect untrammelled migration was having on their communities, public services and job prospects would not be silenced.

At the EU referendum, those people voted to take back control of our borders. And at the General Election, they voted for the party that promised to do that, via a points-based visa system.

The intention was not to end immigration altogether. Neither was it meant as any sort of slight on or threat to the millions of migrants already here.

It was to ensure that in future we could decide for ourselves who should and who should not be allowed to live and work in this country. This should hardly be controversial. It is a right exercised by every sovereign nation.

Today that points system is published. It is a sensible and measured document, yet it will inevitably draw a chorus of sanctimonious outrage.

It lays down strict criteria for all migrants seeking a work visa – whether from inside the EU or not – and should significantly cut the number of low-skilled workers entering Britain each year.

The Left will cry racism. Business will complain that its tap of cheap labour is being turned off. Brussels will no doubt threaten reprisals.

But no one should be surprised. This reform was part of the Tory manifesto that delivered a landslide victory just two months ago. To his credit Boris Johnson is keeping his word – something politicians are not always noted for.

So let’s look at the criteria. To accumulate the points necessary to secure a working visa, applicants will need a job offer paying a minimum of £25,600 a year (lower than the originally suggested £30,000 threshold), a skill level of at least A-level standard and a reasonable command of English.

There is some built-in flexibility. More highly qualified candidates, for example, or those in an industry where there is a shortage of workers might be admitted with a lower salary.

All migrants would have to pay into the NHS and there would be much tougher restrictions on those with criminal records. In certain industries – catering, hospitality, retail – some companies will say it’s impossible to fill all their vacancies without migrant labour.

But this means they will have to invest more in recruiting and training people who are already here. Even though employment is at a record high, there is still a pool of around 1.3million unemployed.

There are caveats of course. The care industry and the NHS, for instance, employ large numbers of workers on less than £25,600 a year – including some medical and paramedical staff.

If recruitment begins to dry up, the Government will have to revisit some of the qualifying criteria.

There will doubtless be other problems to be addressed and further adjustments to be made. Part of Britain’s jobs miracle is down to the hard work of migrants. No one wants to destroy that. But those decisions will be our own decisions. Not the EU’s, not the European Court’s, but ours.

Britain is a mature and proud democracy, and has been (despite a few hiccups) for centuries. The idea that we are somehow incapable of creating and maintaining a fair and effective immigration system without instruction from Brussels is absurd – and deeply insulting.