London: UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has promised a “wholesale reform” of the country’s immigration system, and unveiled plans for a “fully digital border” that is expected to better track migration.
The UK’s immigration system is “broken” and needs to be fixed, she said in a speech delivered to a conference organised by Bright Blue, a think tank for liberal conservatism, here on monday.
Patel said anything short of a “wholesale reform” of the system “would not be fair” as public confidence in it had been “shot to pieces” over the past few decades, Xinhua news agency reported.
She hailed the introduction of the new points-based immigration system, noting it will help bring top talent into the country.
Patel also launched the US-style Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which requires visitors to the UK to obtain an electronic permit before travelling.
A “fully digital border” system will make the uk safer by allowing the government to count people entering and leaving the country, providing a “far clearer picture of who is here, and whether they should be”, she said.
A detailed policy statement, posted later in the day on the government website, said these reforms will ensure UK businesses’ access to talent from across the world to support the national economic recovery as well as the security of the country.
