AGREEING A UK-EU YOUTH MOBILITY SCHEME
Youth Mobility and the EU Relationship
It is disappointing that the recent EU-UK Summit could not reach an agreement on youth mobility, although hopefully that this can be quickly finalised in taking forward the Summit’s conclusions. Many of the changes stemming from the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU have disproportionately affected young people, impacting their educational and employment opportunities. At the same time, many small businesses in the UK have found it more difficult to recruit staff, especially in the hospitality industry and those sectors reliant on seasonal labour. Currently UK citizens may only spend up to 90 days in any 180 day period in an EU country without requiring a visa (and the same restrictions apply to EU citizens in the UK).
Outside the EU, the UK has youth mobility schemes in place with 13 countries, from Australia to Uruguay. These schemes usually allow 18 to 30 years old individuals to reside and work in each country on a strictly time-limited, commonly for up to two years.
However, the UK Labour Party Government has repeatedly expressed hesitation on the youth mobility issue. Its opposition appears to arise from a fear of being seen to restore free movement, which would not be the case given that the programme would be restricted to one age group and subject to fixed-term visas.
The Conservative European Forum calls on the Government to reach an agreement on youth mobility with the EU as part of a clear strategy for the future of the UK-EU relationship.
Benefits of a UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme
In March 2024 the Conservative European Forum published the results of its inquiry into the working and potential for enhancement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement governing the relationship between the UK and the EU. Throughout various evidence sessions, many witnesses underscored to the Inquiry the importance of a youth mobility scheme.
For example, Jennifer Pheasey, Director of Public Affairs for The Horticultural Trades Association, illustrated the point with a real-world example: “I've been asked a number of times by people within the sector who for many years have sent students or young people in their businesses to the Netherlands in the summer and taken students here, which has been part of how they've done business for years and years and years.”
Alan Belfield, co-chair of the Professional and Business Services Council, told the Inquiry, “There should be some sort of movement of a youth mobility policy that encourages a lot of this building up of networks and culture,” a sentiment that William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at British Chambers of Commerce reflected, considering it “common sense to have a shared labour mobility scheme for young people.”
In addition to statements made directly in the course of its TCS Inquiry, other business groups have made their support for youth mobility clear on different occasions.
In November 2023, the UK Domestic Advisory Group (chaired by Sean McGuire, Director of Europe for the CBI), which was created to advise the Government on the implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, issued a statement together with the EU DAG urging increased cooperation in a number of areas, including youth mobility and advocating for more flexible travel provisions beyond the standard 90 in 180 days.
Issues to be Addressed
During the negotiation of a UK-EU youth mobility scheme some issues would remain to be resolved. For example, the application fee for a current UK scheme visa is £298, compared with €75 for a visa for Germany’s equivalent scheme.
In addition, the UK charges an Immigration Heath Surcharge of £776 per year on scheme participants, reflecting potential use of the NHS. The costs of the Surcharge over two years and the visa fee represents a total cost of £1,552 for each participant. A further requirement is that each applicant must have at least £2,530 in their bank account for at least 28 days in a row within 31 days of applying for the visa.
Also to be addressed would be the question of the level of tuition fees payable by EU students to UK universities, as they are currently treated as 'overseas' students, but the European Commission is proposing that EU and UK citizens aged 18–30 would be treated equally for higher education tuition fees under any youth mobility agreement. The EU has further stated that any youth mobility scheme agreed with the UK should provide equal access to UK traineeships and internships for EU citizens.
Under the agreement envisaged by the European Commission, scheme participants from the UK would not have intra-EU mobility rights, meaning that their scheme visa would be valid only for one EU Member State. In negotiations for a youth mobility scheme the UK should explore the scope for flexibility around this restriction.
It should of course be noted that all rights sought by the EU for its citizens under a youth mobility scheme would reciprocally apply to UK citizens in the EU.
Conclusion
The UK and the EU should support the creation of a reciprocal youth mobility scheme, designed to permit young people within a certain age bracket to obtain fixed-term visas. Such visas would facilitate the opportunity to travel and work within both jurisdictions, free from the usual visa requirements such as minimum income levels and sponsorship. Implementing this scheme would foster cultural exchanges, support employment prospects and further career progression.