British Prime Minister Theresa May rejected a points-based immigration system for potential migrants Monday, breaking with a central promise of the Brexit “Leave” campaign.
The system would award potential migrants points for age, education, and other qualifications set by the United Kingdom government. Only migrants with the highest scores would be granted entry into the U.K.
“A lot of people talk about points-based systems always being the answer in immigration. There is no single silver bullet that is the answer in terms of dealing with immigration.” May said. May’s spokesman was more forceful, saying in a statement, “a points-based system will not work and is not an option.”
Senior Leave campaigners like Nigel Farage paraded the country in the weeks leading up to the vote, espousing the benefits of the system. Farage, and other campaigners, pointed to the adoption of a points-based immigration system by Australia.
May countered accusations that she was going soft on immigration, telling reporters Monday, “I want a system where the government is able to decide who comes into the country – I think that’s what the British people want. A points-based system means that people come in automatically if they just meet the criteria.”
May also demurred on the other Leave promise of pumping another 100 million British pounds a week into the National Health Service. Reallocated funding for the National Health Service, along with restrictive immigration laws, were the two central platforms of the Brexit vote.
May became prime minister in July in the wake of the vote to leave the EU. May’s succession met some skepticism among Brexit voters, because she campaigned against leaving the EU. She attempted to quell this dissent by appointing several key members of the Leave campaign to her cabinet, who will negotiate Britain’s withdrawal from the EU over the next two years.
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