Theresa May drops biggest hint yet that EU migrants should be forced to get visas to come to Britain after Brexit

THERESA May has dropped her biggest hint yet that EU migrants should have to apply for visas and not be allowed preferential access to the UK after Brexit.

Last night the PM suggested that the same system should apply to both EU and non EU migrants - as a fresh report recommended the same thing this morning.

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This would mean they would have to secure visas to come here to live and work for extended periods of time - like others who come from around the world.

On last night's BBC Panorama documentary on inside the Brexit negotiations, Mrs May said: "The message from the British people is very simple - they don’t want a situation where they could see people coming from the European Union having automatic rights in terms of coming here...

"What we will be doing is putting forward a set of rules for people from the European Union and people from outside the European Union."

Reports have also speculated that she will address the issue in her Tory party conference speech next month in an attempt to win over Brexiteers who are unhappy with her Chequers deal.

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The new report from the Migration Advisory Committee doesn't comment on whether it thinks Britain should offer EU citizens a special deal in exchange for a trade arrangement, but does say it's possible.

The report notes: "In theory, the UK may be able to trade-off some preferential access for EU citizens to the UK in return for benefits in other areas of the negotiations, such as trade."

But it did recommend that ministers should make it easier for highly skilled migrants to come and settle here once we've left the bloc.

More than 400 businesses, industry bodies and government departments have given evidence to the report, which will lead to a new immigration bill in the coming months.

This morning the MAC's chair, Professor Alan Manning, said at the report's launch: "Our recommendations to the government on a future work immigration system post-Brexit implementation period are designed to benefit all the resident UK population.

"The MAC's core recommendation is for the UK to be more open to skilled workers from around the world and to limit access to low-skilled workers.

"High-skilled workers bring clear benefits to the UK economy and should be actively encouraged."

The report also said:

• Migration has pushed up house prices in Britain, but has had little effect on wages or unemployment rates
• There should be no new scheme for low-skilled migrants to continue to come into the UK - but a possible exemption for seasonal fruit pickers and farm workers should be made
• The 20,700 yearly cap on Tier 2 skilled migrants - such as teachers, doctors or IT engineers - should be scrapped to allow more people we need to come here
• The Tories 100,000 net migration cap should be binned

Ministers have said they will "carefully consider" the proposals.

But business groups grumbled they would lose access to labour markets - and would have to pay more to hire skilled workers from overseas under the plans.

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today that Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, has suggested to colleagues he wants to introduce limits to migrants and visas for EU citizens after Brexit too.

At the moment most non-EU citizens have to apply for permits to stay more than six months in the country, and are divided into categories based on their skill set.

And there's also a cap on the number of skilled people in each category that can come to the UK every year.

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A Home Office spokesperson said today: "After we leave the EU, we will take back control of our borders and put in place an immigration system that works in the interests of the whole of the UK.

"We commissioned this report in addition to our engagement with business to better understand the impact of EU citizens on the UK labour market.

"The Government is clear that EU citizens play an important and positive role in our economy and society and we want that to continue after we leave.

"We will carefully consider the MAC's recommendations before setting out further detail on the UK's future immigration system."