The new UK Labour government reportedly rejects the “youth mobility agreement” with Spain. – El Decano de Guadalajara

The UK Labour government has reportedly rejected a bilateral working holiday visa deal with Spain.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently held a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, where he is believed to have ruled out a deal on a bilateral working holiday visa.

The UK currently has youth mobility schemes with 13 non-EU countries, including popular destinations such as New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

However, there are no such agreements with EU countries, reflecting the UK’s stance not to rejoin the single market or customs union, or to reintroduce free movement.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during a bilateral meeting at the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Picture date: Thursday 18 July 2024.

The news will come as a shock to young people in Spain and the UK after hopes were raised by reports suggesting Sanchez had approached Starmer about a possible deal at a meeting of European leaders on July 18 at Blenheim Palace.

The deal would allow young Spaniards to live and work in the UK, while Britons aged 18 to 30 could head to Spain without the current post-Brexit visa restrictions.

In April, ahead of the general election, Starmer rejected the idea of ​​an EU-wide youth mobility deal proposed by officials in Brussels over fears such a move would increase net migration figures.

The deal was also criticised by figures within the EU who accused the UK of trying to “divide and conquer” Europe by cutting bilateral deals with individual countries.