Boris Johnson says migrants will be asked to contribute to NHS on 'day one' under Tory plans
3 min read
Immigrants arriving in Britain will be asked to contribute to the cost of running the NHS on "day one" under a crackdown being unveiled by Boris Johnson.
The Prime Minister outlined a raft of pledges on immigration which are set to feature in the party's election manifesto this week.
They include plans to make all immigrants pay a surcharge of £625 on arrival in the UK to cover the cost of care, whether or not they use the health service.
EU migrants are currently exempt from any charges, while those outside the EU pay £400.
Mr Johnson told The Sunday Times: "If people return a majority Conservative government we will ensure that people who come to our great country from anywhere in the world will contribute on day one to our NHS.
"The British people pay huge amounts to get great NHS care, it is only fair that everyone in the UK does."
The Tories will also pledge to prevent immigrants from coming to Britain without a job unless they are highly-skilled scientists or entrepreneurs, while the party will commit to preventing the payment of child benefit to migrants whose children live abroad.
Immigrants will also no longer be entitled to state benefits until they have been in the UK for five years.
Announcing the plans, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "One of the benefits of Brexit is that we get to take back control and make our system fairer. A majority Conservative government will ensure that people who come to our great country from anywhere in the world will contribute on day one."
She added: "Immigration will finally be subject to democratic control, allowing us to get overall numbers down."
BREXIT PLEDGE
The promise came as Mr Johnson revealed that every Conservative candidate standing in the general election has personally pledged to vote for his Brexit deal if he wins a majority in the House of Commons.
He told The Sunday Telegraph: "All 635 Conservative candidates standing at this election - every single one of them - has pledged to me that if elected they will vote in Parliament to pass my Brexit deal so we can end the uncertainty and finally leave the EU."
The paper reports that party officials called each candidate last week asking them to make the pledge - and pressed them over their support for Mr Johnson's domestic agenda.
A series of polls continue to show the Tories leading Labour, with the latest ComRes study for the Telegraph putting the Conservatives on 41%, eight points clear of Labour on 33%.
However, Labour has logged a three-point rise on the previous study.
Meanwhile a YouGov poll for The Sunday Times hands Mr Johnson a 17-point lead over Labour, with 45% of those asked saying they would opt for the Tories.
That marks a three-point rise on their previous YouGov total, with Labour unchanged on 28%.
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