We need plans in place for post-Brexit borders

THE Prime Minister’s spokesman has assured us that EU “free movement will end in March 2019” although no details on the likely nature of our post-Brexit border rules were mentioned. This newspaper hopes to see the Government use its new powers to control immigration to bring down the number arriving as quickly as possible.

Net immigration is still running at about 300,000 a year. That means growing pressure on our public services and housing stock as well as enormous difficulties for those British workers forced to compete with cheaper labour from Eastern Europe.

These problems are constantly getting worse as open-door immigration continues. In March 2019, the date by which Brexit will have to be completed under EU rules, these issues are likely to be an even greater source of public fury than they are currently.

When it comes to international trade, ministers have already had great success laying the groundwork for future deals. Instead of waiting to be freed from Brussels’ rules they have taken the initiative and done their utmost to prepare for when that day comes.

We need civil servants and members of the Government to take the same approach to regulating immigration. That means they now have to start putting together proposals on how we can best control our borders so that there is a viable plan in place long before the March 2019 deadline.