The government will today reveal its immigration plans with a pledge to introduce a points system for those seeking to live and work in the UK.

Under the proposal from home secretary Charles Clarke anyone wanting to take up residence will have to prove that they can contribute to the country.

Speaking last night Tony Blair said the new approach would halt the inflow of economic migrants who have nothing to offer.

"The fact of the matter is the public are worried about this, they are worried rightly, because there are abuses of the immigration and asylum system," the prime minister said.

In a Commons statement this afternoon Clarke will say the points system will take into account factors such as age, education, language skills and employment history.

The government will also announce plans for tighter border controls, a new crackdown on people trafficking and an end to the automatic four-year right to remain rule.

Writing in the Times the prime minister adds: "What we should have is a sensible, grown-up debate about the problems of achieving such rules, not ill-thought-out policies which will make the problems worse."

A report from the Commons public accounts committee this week will reveal that the government has spent £500 million on the asylum system in the last two years.