‘Challenge too great’ to end free movement
FREE MOVEMENT of people will have to be kept for several years after Brexit because a new immigration system will not be ready in time, a report has warned.
Curbing migration was a major concern among Leave voters and forms a key part of Theresa May’s negotiating priorities, yet ministers have been warned it will be “unfeasible” to create a new system by April 2019.
In a new report, the Institute for Government (IfG) think tank said the scale of the administrative challenge was too great and the current immigration system should be kept until a replacement was ready to avoid disruptive changes to labour markets.
It also found the current process for registering European Union (EU) nationals was “not fit for purpose” and the Home Office could require up to 5,000 extra civil servants to cope with large numbers of applications and appeals.
Jill Rutter, IfG Brexit programme director, said: “The political imperative for change in immigration is significant, but so is the administrative challenge.
“The scale of the task – creating a new immigration system – is huge and it is critical that government gets it right.
“The current process for dealing with permanent residence applications from EU nationals is not fit for purpose, as the Government itself acknowledged.”
Joe Owen, IfG researcher and report author, said: “Brexit is an opportunity to design an immigration system that is more effective for the country and less burdensome for employers.
“To provide stability, we should continue with the existing migration system until the new one is ready.” FIRST MINISTER and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon cast her vote as polling stations opened to decide who will run Scotland’s councils.
She arrived at her local polling station in Glasgow at 8am yesterday, accompanied by her husband Peter Murrell, who is the party’s chief executive.
The SNP is hoping to oust Labour from power in Glasgow City Council – Scotland’s largest local authority – where their rivals have been in charge since the authority was set up more than 20 years ago.
After winning overall control of two of Scotland’s 32 local authorities in 2012, the nationalists are also seeking to increase the number of town halls which are under their command. The Tories, Liberal Democrats and Greens – who are fielding a record number of candidates in Scotland – are also hoping to make gains. Under the single transferable vote (STV) system, voters are asked to rank the candidates in order of preference, with three or four councillors being elected to serve any one ward.
Votes will be tallied at count centres across Scotland today, with results expected from around lunchtime onwards.
Ms Sturgeon said earlier that a vote for the SNP would protect local services. The First Minister said: “At the polling station today, people need to vote SNP to stop Tory cuts, protect our public services and invest in our communities.
“An SNP vote is the only way to guarantee more affordable housing, a transformation in early learning and childcare, investing in our schools, more money and power for local communities and increased support for small businesses. Our council candidates will work hard to serve their constituencies, to make Scotland’s communities stronger, safer and more successful places to live and work in.”
Meanwhile the Scottish Conservatives will aim to build on their success at last year’s Holyrood elections, which saw leader Ruth Davidson win a constituency seat in the capital.