Nick Ferrari challenges Home Secretary over immigration plans

19 February 2020, 09:02 | Updated: 19 February 2020, 15:46

Nick Ferrari challenges Home Secretary Priti Patel over the UK's post-Brexit immigration system which will deny visas to low-skilled workers.

The government has unveiled a new point-based system to be introduced from January 2021 that intends to "end reliance on low-skilled workers" and make it easier for higher-skilled workers to get UK visas.

"This will clearly take back control of our borders and will for the first time in decades," the Home Secretary said.

"We are creating a single global immigration system that will treat EU and non-EU citizens equally by ending free movement through the points-based system which will prioritise peoples' skills for our economy and obviously enable us the government to be in control of our policy, but to support the labour market in the right way."

Nick pushed the Home Secretary to respond to critics who say the new system can spell disaster for the care sector.

She dispelled his examples and emphasised that "of course" people will be qualified to work in the care sector as "they'll be able to come through our high-skilled route through the points-based system."

"The fact of the matter is the British public spoke in 2016 and the referendum, and 2017 and 2019... they are fed up, they want to see a British government with its own policy and system," she said, "a government that will take back our borders."

Nick said he probably wouldn't be in the UK under these new rules, "Would you?"

"Your parents I understand came from Uganda and were very successful in setting up a newsagents, they wouldn't have qualified, would they?" said Nick, "You wouldn't actually be here Home Secretary. I don't think I'd be here and I sense you wouldn't.

"I wouldn't be sitting in this studio and you wouldn't be Home Secretary in one of the biggest offices in the land under your system."

Ms Patel responded, “This isn’t about my background or my parents. This is a very different system to what has gone on in the past, it’s a point based system based on the labour market.

"We are not changing our approach to refugees or asylum seekers which is very different to a points-based system. The policy is changing so it’s fit for purpose for our economy that is based on skills, it’s not about refugees and asylum and people who are being persecuted around the world. We must differentiate between the two.”

See the full interview above: Nick challenges the Home Secretary on the PM's presence during floods, artist Dave's allegations at the BRITs that Boris Johnson is "racist" and forces response to acts of terror.