British Prime Minister Theresa May cast doubt on Sunday on the effectiveness of 'points-based' immigration systems that screen applicants on the basis of factors like education and skills, setting up a potential conflict with some of her own ministers.
Foreign minister Boris Johnson and trade minister Liam Fox were part of the 'Brexit' camp that argued that voting to leave the European Union would free Britain from the duty to admit all EU nationals who want to live and work here, enabling it to cut immigration by introducing an Australian-style points system.
May, who favored staying in the EU but has promised to deliver on the June 23 referendum vote by steering Britain out of the bloc and tightening border controls, said such systems were difficult to manage.
"One of the issues is whether or not points-based systems do work," she told reporters on her way to a G20 summit in China, citing her experience as Britain's longest-serving interior minister in over 50 years.
The comments offer the first glimpse into May's stance on the hardest conundrum thrown up by the referendum: how to tighten border controls with the EU without losing access to its single market.
Its 27 partners are so far adamant that it cannot enjoy full trade benefits unless it continues to let in EU nationals as before.
