Quote Originally Posted by RichardM View Post
Even though EU citizens had to show their passports they were allowed in under the free movement rules.
Yes, you are right that non-EU migration was always controlled by the UK, after all Priti Patel and her predecessors were for ever telling us they were going to reduce immigration, implying it was in their control. They just never did and then started peddling lies about the benefits Brexit
Pre-Brexit the UK had a net immigration target of +100k per annum and the governments immediately post Brexit reaffirmed it. It was never realistic but very useful each year it was broken. Quietly discarded since but I guess it served its purpose.