Immigration is good for Britain but the public want to see it controlled as the country leaves the European Union because of the impact it can have, particularly on those on low incomes, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday.
A leaked government document showed Britain is considering measures to restrict immigration for all but the highest-skilled EU workers, plans some companies called alarming and an opposition lawmaker described as “plainly cruel”.
“Overall, immigration has been good for the UK but what people want to see is control of that immigration – that is what people want to see as a result of coming out of the European Union,” May told parliament when asked by a lawmaker about benefits of immigration to the British economy.
She added: “There is a reason for wanting to ensure that we can control migration. It is because of the impact that that migration can have … on people, on access to services, on infrastructure, but crucially it often hits those at the lower end of the income scale hardest.”
