Priti Patel has admitted her own parents might not have been allowed to move to the UK if the immigration system she is introducing had been in place at the time.
Under the plans unveiled by the home secretary on Wednesday, the rules will be changed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering the UK.
Patel’s parents moved to Britain from Uganda in the 1960s, shortly before Idi Amin’s decision to deport all Asians, and set up a chain of newsagents around south-east England.
LBC’s Nick Ferrari told Patel this morning he did not think one of his parents would have been allowed into the country under the new rules – and neither would hers.
“You wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Your parents, I understand, came from Uganda and were very successful in setting up newsagents. They wouldn’t have qualified, would they?”
Patel defended her new policy, but admitted that could be the case.
“Yeah, but also let’s not forget we are not changing our approach to refugees and asylum seekers, which is very different to a points-based system for employment and that particular route,” she said.
“This isn’t about my background or my parents.
“This is a very different system to what has gone on in the past and don’t forget this is a points-based system based on the labour market.”
The home secretary added: “The policies are changing. This is the point. We are changing our immigration policy to one that’s fit for purpose for our economy, based on skills.
“This is not about refugees and asylum and people being persecuted around the world. We must differentiate between the two.”
People who want to live and work in the UK will need to gain 70 points to be eligible to apply for a visa.
Points will be awarded for key requirements like being able to speak English to a certain level, having a job offer from an approved employer, and meeting a minimum salary threshold.
Other points will be awarded for certain qualifications and having secured a job in a particular occupation where there is a shortage of labour.