Former prime minister Theresa May has criticised her successor Boris Johnson's plans for a points-based immigration system, claiming it is open to "abuse".

Speaking in the House of Commons for just the second time since she left 10 Downing Street, Mrs May expressed doubt about immigration proposals in this week's Queen's Speech.

Within Mr Johnson's legislative agenda, announced to parliament by Her Majesty on Monday, was a proposal for a new immigration bill.

This includes plans for a new points-based immigration system from 2021 after EU free movement rules end following Brexit.

But, addressing MPs during the third day of debate on the Queen's Speech, Mrs May said: "In 2010, when I became home secretary, one of the challenges I faced was dealing with the abuse that had arisen in the immigration system - largely enabled by the Labour Party's point-based immigration system.


"So it's possible that the Home Office's best brains have come up with a very good scheme.

"But I would urge the home secretary and Home Office to look very carefully at the lessons that have been learned in the past in relation to points-based systems, which in themselves are not an answer to controlling immigration and can allow abuse to take place."

The ex-premier, who served as home secretary for six years before entering 10 Downing Street in 2016, also told MPs she was "a little concerned about some references to the press" to a system of "regional visas".

In full: The Queen's speech

Mrs May described this as "the ability for somebody to be given a visa if they're going to work in a particular part of the country".

She urged Home Secretary Priti Patel "to look very carefully at how that can operate logistically, because it has some very real challenges".

Mrs May also noted how it is "an issue that has been rejected in the past by the independent Migration Advisory Committee".

During her time in the Home Office and 10 Downing Street, Mrs May stuck to a pledge to cap net migration to the UK at less than 100,000 per year, despite never once reaching the target.

Mr Johnson has ditched his predecessor's "tens of thousands" target for immigration since becoming prime minister.

While in office, Mrs May had proposed a tiered immigration system after Brexit, based on skills and wealth.

In further criticism of the Queen's Speech proposals, Mrs May expressed her fear the government's plans could potentially see more foreign offenders in UK prisons.

Mrs May also said she fears government proposals will potentially see more foreign national offenders in UK prisons.

She said: "On the question of foreign national offenders, it is absolutely right to look at those cases where foreign national offenders, having been deported, are then brought back into the country, often by illegal criminal gangs."

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Mrs May added: "The issue I have though, is that the result of the proposals will be that we will see more, potentially see more foreign national offenders in our prisons.

"The issue of dealing with foreign national offenders in our prisons is one that every home secretary is faced with when they come into office.

"I would urge the government, alongside what they are doing, to look at making sure, seeing how we can most effectively remove foreign national offenders, and also at ensuring that we have prisoner transfer schemes to replace those once we have left the EU, to replace those that are available to us within the EU."