LONDON (AP) — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is proposing tough new immigration rules as part of a plan to keep Britain from leaving the European Union.

The longtime Brexit opponent said Sunday that controlling immigration from other EU countries would satisfy the British public's demands without having to take Britain out of the 28-nation bloc.

Blair concedes that the open borders that were in place during his tenure are no longer appropriate. He called instead for a system that would restrict the free movement of people enshrined in EU law and require newcomers to register with UK authorities.

He said in a Sunday Times article that the mandate British voters gave in the 2016 referendum that approved leaving the EU can be respected without the upheaval of Brexit.