What’s the point of Keir Starmer’s massive electoral majority if he remains hesitant to do something for young people on Brexit that’s not just compassionate and sensible, but also very popular?
During a visit to Berlin last week, the Labour prime minister reiterated the UK has no plans for a “youth mobility” program that would allow young Brits to live, study and work in the European Union for a few years, with reciprocal arrangements for under 30s from the continent.
I hope his reticence is a negotiating tactic because an agreement would help alleviate one of the biggest injustices of Brexit. In 2016 most young Brits voted to remain in the European Union, while those now younger than 26 didn’t have a say. Yet they’ve all had their opportunities to move to the continent, find a job and fall in love (as I did) curtailed.
Youth mobility isn’t just about privileged graduates broadening their horizons, gaining some CV points and brushing up their language skills — it would also help fill gaps in the UK labor market, while reinforcing vital cultural ties.
Most Brits now realize Brexit was a mistake, and around two-thirds would support the UK striking a deal on youth visas with the EU, according to a YouGov poll in April.
Labour’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan is also a fan of the idea, yet Starmer, who voted Remain, seems fearful of being accused by right-wing newspapers and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party of attempting to reverse Brexit. He’s also observed a succession of hapless Tory governments tear themselves apart over the UK's relationship with the EU. Meanwhile, the racist violence that shook Britain this summer was a reminder that immigration topics must be handled sensitively.
So while the prime minister is in favor of a “reset” of relations with the EU, he won’t countenance radical changes such as rejoining the single market or customs union, or allowing freedom of movement.
He’s open to more educational and cultural exchanges, though, and hasn’t categorically ruled out a deal on youth residence permits. Nor should he! The UK already has similar programs with a handful of countries, including Australia and Canada; so why not with the EU?
The hospitality, tourism, health and child care sectors are struggling with labor shortages in the wake of Brexit. In 2023, 75,000 more EU citizens emigrated from the UK than arrived (although that’s been more than compensated by the increase in net migration by non-EU citizens as shown below).
There’s also been a more than two-thirds decline in UK nationals moving to the continent to work as travel reps, chalet hosts and other tourism support roles.
Meanwhile, the number of EU citizens enrolling in UK universities has more than halved since 2020 following the imposition of higher fees. Britain also left the EU’s Erasmus+ university exchange program that year because far more Europeans had been coming to study in the UK than the other way around.1
In April, the European Commission laid out how a youth mobility program might work, which had the effect of stalling Britain’s attempts to negotiate bilateral youth visa deals with preferred countries — like Spain, Germany and France — rather than the whole bloc.
Brussels thinks 18-30-year-olds should be allowed to undertake various activities during an up to four-year stay. But in case Brexiteers are in any doubt, this is very different from the freedom of movement enjoyed by EU citizens; it’s a time-limited offer, requires a permit and would be tied to one country.
Britain doubtless won’t be able to give the EU everything it wants: Free access to the National Health Service, instead of paying a £776 ($1,022) surcharge, could be a sticking point. And a proposal that EU students should pay the domestic rate to attend British universities, rather than much higher international fees looks like a nonstarter. These institutions are already facing huge funding challenges, and they tend to lose money on home students.
But it should be possible to find common ground. While the European Commission says a youth mobility program shouldn’t involve quotas, any UK concerns about its labor market or universities being swamped might be assuaged by a cap; the UK’s existing programs are subject to limits. (EU member states are working on a fresh youth mobility proposal, the Guardian reported last week without providing details.)
A deal could help generate goodwill for talks on other issues important to the UK, such as reciprocal recognition of professional qualifications. And it would preserve cultural ties so that one day a less insular Britain might consider rejoining the EU. One can but hope.
But first Starmer must find some resolve. Make grown-ups suffer for their boneheaded Brexit vote if you must, but offer young people a more optimistic, empathetic and outward-looking future. It’s what they would have chosen.
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