Firms which rely on cheap workers from abroad face being hit with a new tax under plans to encourage bosses to hire young Brits.

Home Secretary Theresa May is to consult on a new visa levy which would be used to fund apprenticeships for young people from Britain and the rest of the EU.

The plan emerged as the Queen's Speech set out plans for a fresh crackdown on immigration, designed to stamp out exploitation of illegal workers.

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Home Secretary Theresa May, pictured today with Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, is to consult on a new visa levy which would be used to fund apprenticeships for young people from Britain and the rest of the EU.

Latest figures show net migration hit 318,000 in 2014, three times David Cameron's target of 'tens of thousands'.

Some 284,000 came to Britain in search of work last year, 70,000 more than in 2013.

Latest figures also show that in the year to January to March, the number of EU nationals in work rose by 283,000, higher than the 279,000 rise in British nationals who had a job.

Ministers say they want to deter companies from hiring workers from around the world by imposing a fee on businesses who refuse to employ local people.

The Queen announced that 'measures will be introduced to control immigration', which will include reforming immigration and labour market rules to reduce the demand for skilled migrant labour and crack down on the exploitation of low skilled workers.

The government said: 'A consultation will be carried out on funding apprenticeship schemes for British and EU workers by implementing a new visa levy on businesses that use foreign labour.'

Home Secretary Theresa May will also introduce an offence of illegal working which will give authorities powers to seize wages from illegal migrants.

Foreign criminals will also be tagged to prevent them going missing when they are released.

The measure, which will see offenders tracked by satellite when they are released on bail, is included in legislation to control immigration.

It comes after official figures revealed that the number of foreign criminals living in the community rose above 5,000 for the first time this year.

The Queen set out the government's legislative plans for the next year, including a fresh crackdown on immigration

A new enforcement agency will crack down on the worst cases of exploitation of workers.

It will also be made harder for illegal migrants to access services, with landlords given more powers to evict illegal tenants.

Banks will be forced to take action to close accounts held by illegal immigrants.

Data released last week revealed that there were 5,053 foreign offenders who were subject to deportation action living in the community in the first three months of this year. This was a rise of almost a fifth compared to the same period in 2014.

The Home Office said the main factor contributing to the rise was an increase in police checks for overseas criminal convictions on foreign nationals going through custody.

The department said it was not due to more people being released from prison and that these figures have fallen.

Net long-term migration to the UK was estimated to be 318,000 in 2014, according to the Office for National Statistics

Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said: 'Foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes in the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them - the forthcoming Immigration Bill will include legislation to use GPS satellite technology to tag foreign national offenders whom we are seeking to deport when they are released on immigration bail.

'We take our duty to protect the public very seriously - we have removed more than 23,000 foreign criminals since 2010.

'In the vast majority of cases where people have been released into the community their release was ordered by an immigration judge despite our strenuous objections.