LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday it wouldend European Union freedom of movement rules immediately afterit leaves the bloc on Oct. 31 but Prime Minister Boris Johnsonsaid the country would not be hostile to immigration.
Under Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, the government hadsaid only that if Britain left the EU without a transition dealit would aim to end free movement "as soon as possible".
Johnson, who took office last month, has promised to takeBritain out of the EU with or without a deal on Oct. 31.
"Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on 31October when the UK leaves the EU, and after Brexit thegovernment will introduce a new, fairer immigration system thatprioritises skills and what people can contribute to the UK,rather than where they come from," a spokesman for Britain'sinterior ministry, the Home Office, said in a statement.
Johnson's spokeswoman said further details on the changes tofreedom of movement were being worked on and would be set outshortly but would include tougher criminality checks.
"What we are going to do is leave the EU and that means thatlegally all those powers revert to the UK...That does not meanthat we are going to stop anybody coming into this country, itdoesn't mean that we are going to become remotely hostile toimmigration or to immigrants," Johnson told BBC Radio Cornwall.
"What it does mean is that immigration into the UK will bedemocratically controlled and we will be producing anAustralian-style points-based system to do it."
The Home Office said there would be no change to plannedrules for EU citizens and their families already living inBritain by the end of October, who would still have until atleast the end of December 2020 to apply to Britain's EUSettlement Scheme.
No one eligible for settled status would be barred fromre-entering Britain when free movement ends, the Home Officesaid.(Reporting by Kylie MacLellanEditing by Mark Heinrich)