Brexit to cause immigration surge as 500,000 East Europeans 'will rush in before borders close'

Half-a-million migrants from Eastern Europe will attempt to beat the Brexit deadline

Britain faces an influx of 500,000 East European ­migrants because of Brexit .

They are predicted to rush into the UK over the next two years before our borders are closed.

The stark warning comes from ­former Immigration minister Phil Woolas, who served under Gordon Brown’s ­premiership.

Mr Woolas, 56, says: “Every time the UK Government announces a cap onimmigration, thousands rush in before the deadline.

“Would-be immigrants see that the door is about to slam. So they bring forward their plans and a last-minute rush heads for the UK.

“In the Home Office, they call it the fire sale.”

Mr Woolas, former Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, added: “I faced the same problem in 2008 when the last Labour government wanted to strengthen the points-based system – yes, we’ve had such a law since then. The Brexiteers didn’t invent it.

“I announced in Parliament that the numbers of non-EU unskilled workers would be restricted.

"What happened was that more unskilled workers ­applied for visas than we’d ever known. The same will happen now.”

Negotiations with the EU about Brexit are scheduled to go on for two years, although it could take longer.

And until the process is finished, EU citizens will still enjoy unlimited free access to the UK.

After the referendum result was announced on Friday, there was a 100 per cent surge in Google searches for Irish passports, mostly from people in Northern Ireland .

Irish passport holders will be able to work anywhere in the EU after Brexit because the Republic is still an EU member.

SOURCE-http://www.mirror.co.uk/