Brexit campaigners have called for the introduction of an Australian-style points-based UK immigration system.
Should the UK take the decision to vote out of the European Union on the Referendum on 23rd June, lead 'Brexit' campaigners might have the chance to implement such a system across the board.
Michalel Gove, Boris Johnson and Gisela Stuart were among the high profile names to discuss the system as an option.
Central to the idea would be the end of the automatic right for EU citizens to live and work in the UK. Instead, decisions for entry would be based on the skills of the individual. The Brexit campaigners believe that this would mean the country could then “create fairness between EU citizens and others, including those from Commonwealth countries”.
The 'Remain' campaigners are unsurprisingly not in favour of the move, suggesting that it “wouldn't work” and warning that it would “wreck” the economy. In an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, prime minister David Cameron added that such a move would likely mean a backlash from EU countries who could say that if Europeans need work permits to come to Britain then “European countries would say to us we need work permits to go and work there”.
“So not only would we crash our economy, we'd also reduce opportunities to work in other countries,” the prime minister added.
The Australian system factors in everything from age requirements and English language competency, through to qualifications and experience.