David Cameron Urges EU for Border Control on Labour Inflows to Remain in Europe

David Cameron has told the EU it must reform freedom of movement rules if Britain is to maintain close economic ties with the continent in the wake of the referendum.

In his final meeting with EU leaders before standing down as Prime Minister, Mr Cameron claimed that British voters backed a Brexit because people believe the country has “no control” of its borders.

That could allow Britain to retain access to the single market without having to accept unlimited immigration from the EU.

Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, on Tuesday attempted to ban nations from negotiating with the UK until Article 50 - the formal mechanism for leaving the EU - is triggered.

But Eastern European nations - including Poland - want to speak with UK leaders in the hope that a deal can be struck.

Mr Cameron’s comments will put the debate over freedom of movement rules at the heart of the contest to become the next leader of the Conservative Party.

Boris Johnson, considered the frontrunner, wants continued access to the single market when Britain leaves the EU and wants an Australian-style points-based immigration system to control the number of foreigners coming to the UK.

In the end, Mr Cameron only secured a one-off temporary reduction in migrants’ entitlement to benefits, which was described as “irrelevant” by Eurosceptics.

EU Immigration to the UK

Just over three million EU-born people currently live in the UK, approximately 1.9 million of whom are employed here.

Over the last five years the rate of immigration from the EU has increased by 51 per cent, while non-EU immigration has fallen eight per cent.

The Migration Observatory figures put this rise down to the introduction of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU. Still, however, the annual number of non-EU immigrants is just higher than those from the EU.