Sir Keir Starmer is coming under pressure to agree a youth mobility scheme with Brussels that could let “tens of thousands” more people into the UK, reports suggest. While Labour confirmed its intention to admit 18 to 30-year-old’s from the European Union as part of a post-Brexit “reset” in May, questions have been raised over the numerical limit of the proposals. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has reportedly called for a maximum stay of one year, but Brussels officials could be hoping for the scheme to cover two or even three year periods – something critics say could quickly escalate and worsen Britain’s migration crisis.
“The Government openly refuses to talk about a numerical limit to this proposal,” shadow home secretary Chris Philp said. “With no limit, Labour’s planned scheme would allow tens of millions of people to come to the UK. This … will throw our borders wide open.” Following the agreement of an EU-UK deal earlier this year, British officials insisted numbers of young people entering the country as part of the “youth experience scheme” would be capped and stays would be time-limited.
However, the measure has proved controversial from its conception, primarily because the idea of allowing young EU citizens to live, work and study in the UK and vice-versa was seen as contradictory to the Government’s drive to cut net migration.
Officials responded to the backlash by pointing to existing similar schemes, including with Australia and New Zealand, which allow young adults to live and work in the UK for up to two years, with an option for a one-year extension.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, EU relations minister, said the EU scheme wouldn’t signal a return to freedom of movement but confirmed it could extend over multiple years, depending on negotiations.
“I’m not going to draw on a number,” Mr Thomas-Symonds told The Times. “It’s also about it being reciprocal. There’s 13 of [these schemes] that already exist, and it’s in that context that we will be negotiating with the EU, but the idea or suggestion that this is somehow freedom of movement is completely wrong.
“Nobody says we have freedom of movement with Andorra or Uruguay, with whom we already have youth mobility schemes.”
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson countered: “Immigration is a top concern for voters, yet Labour continues to keep the doors wide open.”
“There is no quesion, the population explosion has done this country great damage,” he told The Sun, reflecting on the huge number of young EU citizens who will be counted in the UK’s official immigration figures when the scheme goes ahead.
“Labour should focus on our endless problems at home before pandering to the needs of all foreigners.”