"It is not a silver bullet," the PM said in a recent statement. The points-based system was a promise made by the Leave campaign in the run-up to the EU referendum. It is an Australian-style immigration system that Boris Johnson said would be implemented if the UK left the EU.
Theresa May doesn't think we need a points-based immigration system.
— LEAVE.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) 5 September 2016
Is this May's Britain? #BrexitBritain pic.twitter.com/M06RCdewWv
Under the scheme, foreigners wishing to come to the UK would need to have enough points, based on their skills and experience, before being allowed in.
The British PM, currently in China for her first G20 summit, insisted that such a system just would not work in the UK and that it will not reduce net migration.
Leave voters wanted control of their borders and will be appalled to hear of backsliding by PM. Brexit must mean points based system.
— Diane James (@DianeJamesMEP) 5 September 2016
Simply saying you want a "points-based" immigration system is a bit of a magic asterisk. How many people? Points for what?
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) September 5, 2016
"You really don't want to ask a former Home Secretary about the intricacies of a points-based system because it might take a very long time to answer your question. One of the issues is whether or not points-based systems do work but what I'm saying is, the British people with the movement of people coming in from the European Union, they didn't want the free movement to continue as it has in the past. We will be going out there to deliver on that," Theresa May said.
Downing Street: "a points based system will not work and is not an option". Australian-style or otherwise
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) 5 September 2016
Theresa May also believes that people who voted for Brexit did not do so solely because they wanted a points-based system, in addition she did not rule out freedom of movement, meaning that citizens from other EU countries would still be able to travel to the UK without any problems.
"People voted, I think, for control. What they wanted to see was control of the freedom of movement of the European Union countries into the United Kingdom. Obviously that's what I say, not free movement as it has been in the past. And we need to respond to the voice of the British people," the PM added.
