The British government has rejected calls to restore free movement for people aged 18 to 30 between the UK and the EU, dashing campaigners’ hopes of restoring pre-Brexit freedoms.
Earlier this year, the EU proposed a deal that would allow young Europeans to work, study or volunteer in the UK for up to three years (and would require young Britons to do the same). However, the deal was rejected by the Conservative government and the opposition Labour Party.
On Thursday, a government spokesman denied a Times report that the Labour government was reconsidering the plan, saying: “We are not considering an EU-wide youth movement scheme and we do not expect to restore freedom of movement. Probably not,” he said.
A Downing Street official said: “We are not considering this at all.”
Prime minister Mr Keir Starmer The Prime Minister has promised to rebuild relations with Brussels, and pro-EU campaigners believe this will force Labour to make concessions on the issue.
Naomi Smith, chief executive of campaign group Best for Britain, said the policy was known to be popular across the UK. “The Youth Mobility Plan will not only remove the brakes Brexit has on the future of young Britons, but will also demonstrate to the EU that Britain is open for business again,” Smith said.
A recent poll by the organisation More in Common found that 58% of people thought the UK-EU youth migration scheme was a good idea, while only 10% said it was a bad idea. Even supporters of Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party are generally positive about the scheme.
But ministers remain cautious about signing anything that might signal a broader withdrawal. BrexitStarmer has pledged to support the result of the 2016 referendum to leave the EU.
Labour wants to improve relations with Brussels through a series of amendments to the Brexit deal, including a veterinary agreement that would reduce inspections on UK exports and a reciprocal agreement that would allow the use of professional qualifications in both the EU and the UK.
But Starmer’s team has consistently maintained that the UK will not rejoin the single market or customs union or embrace freedom of movement. Immigration was one of the most important factors behind the 52-48 vote to leave the EU eight years ago.
Starmer is due to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next month. But formal negotiations are unlikely to begin until late autumn at the earliest, when the new commissioners are sworn in.
The committee said: “We look forward to further development.”[ing] He stressed that Brussels would only open negotiations on youth mobility if EU member states approved the proposal, although he highlighted the “relationship” with the new UK government.
Officials in Brussels stressed that the EU is not interested in renegotiating elements of the Brexit relationship until the existing agreement is fully implemented.
Mark English, UK policy expert at campaign group Europe Movement, said: [UK] The government will simply accept the details of the proposal, which have not yet been approved by EU member states.
“But rejecting the idea of mutual mobility for young people will only disillusion young Britons who have faced all kinds of economic hardship and whose vision has been limited by Brexit.”
In April, the European Commission announced proposals for a wide-ranging reciprocal travel agreement that would allow anyone aged 18 to 30 to travel between the UK and EU countries. The rejected proposal would not have imposed limits or quotas on the number of young people who could travel, nor additional fees for visas or medical costs. It also included the possibility for EU students to enrol at UK universities for a domestic tuition fee of £9,250. Although tuition fees for international students can be two to three times higher.
The UK already has limited agreements on youth movements with more than 10 countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. Conditions vary by country, but applicants can get a £298 visa, valid for up to two years, if they have £2,530 in savings and pay an additional £776 for NHS access.
Some countries have no restrictions on the number of participants, while others have limits on the number of participants and have the possibility to apply for a visa through a lottery. Winners can study, work or even start a small business, but the scheme does not grant them residency rights or the right to bring family members.
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British officials say any deal with the EU will need to find a compromise between Britain’s more restrictive approach and the EU’s ambitions for a deal offering greater freedoms.
Several EU countries, including Spain and Germany, had expressed interest in the UK’s proposal for a bilateral deal, but have now decided that youth migration should be proposed equally by all member states.
Luke Petherbridge, communications director at travel agency association ABTA, said the number of Britons working in travel-related jobs in Europe had fallen by 69% since Brexit.
“It is important to stress that agreements on youth movement are not synonymous with freedom of movement,” he added. “We already have an agreement on youth movement, but no one can reasonably claim that it is equivalent to the EU right to freedom of movement.”
