Responding to reports that the Conservative Cabinet has agreed to implement a new points-based immigration system on 1 January next year, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “These Conservative plans to impose an entirely new immigration system in less than 11 months, without any proper consultation, are a recipe for disaster.
“There simply isn’t enough time for employers or the Home Office to prepare for the mountain of extra bureaucracy. It will be chaos.
“And when Boris Johnson talks about ending ‘low-skilled’ immigration, he is really saying there will be fewer people to build our homes, care for our elderly, farm our food or work in our hotels. That will be terrible for those industries and bad for British jobs.
“Liberal Democrats welcome people who choose to come to the UK to work. They make enormous contributions to our society, our economy and our communities.
“Instead of chasing headlines with their unworkable plans, the Government must focus on building a fair immigration system that works for our economy and treats everyone with dignity and respect.”