Prime Minister Theresa May has set out her negotiating objectives for Britain leaving the European Union (EU), outlining 12 objectives which clarify the UK’s stance on control of immigration, trade agreements, workers’ rights and rights for EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU following Brexit.
The Prime Minister said that the government wished to ensure that it could control immigration to Britain from Europe, while continuing to attract “the brightest and the best to work or study in Britain”. However, she added that the process must be managed properly “so that our immigration system serves the national interest”.
She said the government would “get control” of the number of people coming to Britain from the EU.
“Because while controlled immigration can bring great benefits – filling skills shortages, delivering public services, making British businesses the world-beaters they often are – when the numbers get too high, public support for the system falters,” she said.
“In the last decade or so, we have seen record levels of net migration in Britain – and that sheer volume has put pressure on public services like schools, stretched our infrastructure, especially housing, and put a downward pressure on wages for working class people.”
Mrs May said that, as home secretary for six years, she knew that it was not possible to control immigration overall when there was free movement to Britain from Europe.
However she added that Britain was “an open and tolerant country” – and would always want immigration, especially high-skilled immigration.
“We will always want immigration from Europe – and we will always welcome individual migrants as friends. But the message from the public before and during the Referendum campaign was clear: Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe and that is what we will deliver,” she said.
She added that the government wanted to guarantee the rights of EU citizens who were already living in Britain – and the rights of British nationals in EU member states – as early as possible.
The Prime Minister also said that the government would protect workers’ rights by translating the body of European law into the UK’s domestic regulations to ensure that workers’ rights were fully protected and maintained, as well as building on what had already been achieved.
Mrs May also said that there would be ongoing co-operation between Britain and the EU regarding major science, research, and technology initiatives.
“From space exploration to clean energy to medical technologies, Britain will remain at the forefront of collective endeavours to better understand, and make better, the world in which we live,” she added.
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