The exchange comes after May rejected the idea of introducing an Australian-style visa system in the wake of the Leave vote.
Advertisement
Speaking later to Sky News, Mr Farage said: “People want to have controls not just on numbers of people that come but the type”.
“As the United Kingdom leaves the EU I’ve set out our ambition to become the global leader in free trade”, May told reporters after a two-day summit of leaders from G20 nations in China.
May was already issuing cautious noises on the plan overnight, telling reporters at the G20 that a points system, would not be a silver bullet.
Australia vets immigrants according to their occupation, qualifications and other factors.
“A points-based system does not give you that control”.
The comments offer the first glimpse into May’s stance on the hardest question thrown up by the referendum: how to tighten border controls with the European Union without losing access to its single market.
The British Prime Minister suggested an end “free movement”, without necessarily ending preferential rights of residence for European Union nationals after Brexit.
May said there would be no retreat towards protectionism and that there had been positive reactions from partners about securing new trade deals.
The minister in charge for the British exit, or Brexit, said before the debate Monday that “Brexit isn’t about making the best of a bad job”. Civil servants are now carrying out a “sectoral analysis” of 50 business sectors, he added, with the results feeding into his new 180-strong Brexit department.
Farage said British voters had endorsed the idea of a points based system of immigration that would ensure Britain took well- vetted European Union immigrants. While four million people signed the petition, May has said the referendum result was clear and that “Brexit means Brexit”.
Advertisement
In China for the G-20 summit, May said she is not in favor of a point-based immigration system that had been backed by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, key leaders of the pro-Brexit campaign.
