Theresa May’s Immigration White Paper will restrict EU migrants to 11-month visas in Brexit crackdown
Ministers are also considering plans to allow EU migrants ages 18-30 to live and work in the UK for two years with a strict cap on numbers
LOW SKILLED EU migrants will be restricted to tough 11-months visas in a Brexit crackdown, it was claimed last night.
Sources confirmed the Sun’s revelations from last week that Theresa May’s Immigration White Paper will come in the week beginning December 3.
The details of how Britain will end free movement will be used by Downing Street in a desperate bid to win over rebel MPs threatening to block the PM’s deal.
Last night leaked Cabinet papers suggested the Home Office has drawn up plans to issue low-skilled migrants 11-month visas “with restricted entitlements and rights” while they are living in the UK.
Ministers are also considering alternative plans to allow EU migrants aged 18-30 to live and work in the UK for two years, with a strict cap on numbers.
As expected the PM will remove the cap on skilled workers in a bid to ensure Britain is open to the “brightest and the best”.
Whitehall sources last night signalled a final decision had yet to be made by either the PM or Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
The timing of the leak will worry Downing Street given fears of upsetting EU leaders ahead of this weekend’s crunch EU summit on the Brexit deal.
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Spain is already demanding a rewrite to cover Gibraltar and France is understood to be pushing Brussels to get tougher with Britain on fishing.
A Government backed Committee in September recommended Ministers close the door to almost every category of low skilled EU workers. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said only agriculture should benefit from a seasonal workers scheme allowing lower skilled EU nationals in. The MAC said many British employers had enjoyed a continuous supply of cheap EU labour and they should spend more on training up UK recruits.