I am today publishing a new strategy entitled “Securing the UK Border”, the terms of reference for the new Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), a summary of the responses received to our recent consultation on establishing a Migration Advisory Committee, and terms of reference for a new Migration Impacts Forum. Copies of all documents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Effective immigration systems require effective controls. The “Securing the UK Border” strategy is the third in the series of papers setting out how we will henceforth create a new offshore border control system, and strengthen UK border security here at home. It sets out how we intend to strengthen our borders against those who seek to abuse our laws and present a threat to our security while at the same time making the system simpler and faster for legitimate, low risk travellers. The main proposals include:

Visa Waiver Test: we will henceforth assume that all non-EEA countries will face a visa regime unless they meet a sufficient benchmark against a basket of immigration, crime, security and economic criteria. A test will be conducted over 2007 with regimes maintained, lifted or imposed during 2008-09. In tandem we will be reviewing the transit without visa concession and the direct airside transit visa regime.

Biometric capture: underpinning our proposals is the need to establish the identity of those seeking to travel to the UK. We will therefore capture the biometrics of all non-EEA passengers before travel to the UK or on arrival.

Visitors: we want to make the rights and obligations of those visiting the UK clearer and more transparent. During 2007 we will consult on the creation of distinct and separate routes for those coming for six months or less as tourists, business visitors and sponsored family visitors.

Forced Marriage: we will also consult on the introduction of measures to address the problem of forced marriage, including raising the minimum age for spouse and sponsor and examining the case for introducing some form of English language test prior to entry for those spouses intending to settle.

We are committed to attracting people with the skills Britain needs from around the world. With our policy set, a points based system will, starting from next year, ensure that we only admit to work and study those migrants with a contribution to make to Britain.

We believe that the UK would benefit greatly from advice from a new Committee of independent experts about where migration is of benefit to Britain and where it is not. There has been a full consultation on our proposals and the response I am publishing today shows strong support from the public.

The Migration Advisory Committee will be a non-statutory advisory non-departmental public body established from April 2007. It will provide independent and evidence-based advice to Government on specific sectors and occupations in the labour market where shortages exist which can sensibly be filled by migration. In addition the Government may, from time to time, ask the MAC to advise on other matters relating to migration.

Alongside the MAC we are also establishing a new Migration Impacts Forum (MIF) which will provide us with information and input from interested parties on the wider impacts of migration. I will co-chair this body with my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and will invite membership from among those with a direct interest in issues associated with the wider impacts of migration from across the UK.

I am also announcing today a number of changes to the immigration rules relating to ministers of religion and international students, including an extension of the science and engineering graduates scheme and the fresh talent: working in Scotland scheme.