According to The Times, government ministers are considering allowing Europeans aged under 30 to live and work in Britain, as part of a “reset” of the UK’s relationship with Brussels.
While there are currently no plans for a return to the full freedom of movement that was revoked post-Brexit, Labour sources told The Times that ministers recognised the need to “give ground” on the issue in order to repair relations with Brussels.
The move could see young EU citizens being allowed to live and work in the UK for up to three years, with a reciprocal arrangement for UK citizens. Countries such as Canada and Australia already have a similar deal with the UK.
“No one will say it publicly at this stage but there is an acknowledgement that this is an area where we will need to move,” a government source told The Times. “If we are serious about resetting relations with the EU then we need to be prepared to give them some of the things that they want.”
Another source added that while the government had not “proposed any plans” for a youth mobility scheme, they were prepared to “listen to what the EU had to say on the issue” while stressing that a return to freedom of movement was “a red line.”
While Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, in the next few weeks, formal negotiations about these potential new proposals are unlikely to begin until late autumn.
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