Brandon Lewis, Home Office Minister, leaves 10 Downing Street after a cabinet meeting, in central London, Britain June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

LONDON (Reuters) - Freedom of movement of workers between Britain and the European Union will end when Britain withdraws from the bloc, immigration minister Brandon Lewis said on Thursday.

“Free movement of labour ends when we leave the European Union in spring 2019,” Lewis told BBC radio.

Lewis also said a new immigration system would be in place by spring 2019. Britain is due to leave the EU in March 2019.

“Once we have left the EU, this government will apply its own immigration rules and requirements that will meet the needs of UK businesses, but also of wider society,” Interior Minister Amber Rudd said in an article in the Financial Times.

“I also want to reassure businesses and EU nationals that we will ensure there is no ‘cliff edge’ once we leave the bloc,” Rudd said.