logo
Germany ‘optimistic' over deal to allow young EU migrants to UK

Germany ‘optimistic' over deal to allow young EU migrants to UK

Yahoo25-04-2025

A top German diplomat has said he is 'really optimistic' that Britain will agree a deal to allow young EU migrants to live and work in the UK.
Miguel Berger, the German ambassador to the UK, said on Friday he was confident the UK and EU were 'moving in a good direction' in agreeing to a youth visa scheme enabling under-30s from Europe to stay in the UK.
British officials are more sceptical, despite a change in the Government's tone from publicly declaring that there are 'no plans' for such a youth mobility scheme to one in which senior ministers have opened the door to negotiations.
But there is concern among some within the Government that the EU is talking up the prospect of a deal ahead of the first UK-EU summit since Brexit next month, which is designed to pave the way for a 'reset' in relations with the bloc.
It followed suggestions that Britain was open to a 'one in, one out' scheme.
This would involve capping the number of young EU citizens coming to the UK so they do not exceed British people going to Europe to ensure no increase in net migration.
'Lots of this is being fuelled by EU speculation,' said a source.
Mr Berger said: 'I am now pretty optimistic that we are moving in a good direction. It would make it possible for young people with parents with a lower income to experience the possibility to work abroad, to learn a language, and we would like to have this in both directions.'
He denied it would fuel inflation and said that there 'needed to be progress'.
'There is a very serious and dedicated preparatory work for the summit on May 19,' he said.
On Wednesday, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, confirmed that a youth mobility scheme was being discussed with the EU, despite Nick Thomas-Symonds, the paymaster general, saying the following day that a visa deal was 'not part of our plans'.
Ms Reeves has been reported as being in favour of the scheme while Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is said to have argued against allowing EU citizens to stay more than 12 months, as any longer would mean they would be included in the net migration figures.
More than 60 Labour backbenchers signed a letter this week calling for 'a new and bespoke youth visa scheme' for citizens under 30 from the UK and Europe.
In their letter, the MPs and peers said any youth mobility scheme should be in line with the UK's existing arrangements with countries such as Australia and Canada, with a time limit on visas and a cap on numbers.
A No 10 spokesman said on Friday: 'We've always been clear about the nature of these discussions.
'Both sides are discussing a wide range of issues, which is entirely normal for any negotiation. I don't think we could have been clearer that this is not about returning to the EU, but we will not be defined by the debates and arguments of the past.
'What we will be defined by is putting more money in the pockets of working people and providing Britain with long-term stability and security.'
The spokesman later added: 'The Prime Minister has been very clear about the benefits that a better partnership with the EU can bring and how it can unlock benefits for British people and British business.'
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bessent says US may 'roll the date forward' for some after 90-day tariff pause ends
Bessent says US may 'roll the date forward' for some after 90-day tariff pause ends

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Bessent says US may 'roll the date forward' for some after 90-day tariff pause ends

(Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday said the Trump administration is prepared to "roll the date forward" with trading partners negotiating in good faith if the deadline marking the end of the 90-day pause on President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs is reached with no deal. "It is highly likely that those countries - or trading blocs as is the case with the EU - who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward to continue the good-faith negotiations," Bessent told the House Ways and Means Committee. "If someone is not negotiating, then we will not." Bessent's remarks, in response to a question from a Democratic lawmaker, marked the first time a Trump administration official has indicated some flexibility around the expiration date for the pause. That date - July 8 - is now just four weeks away, and so far the White House has struck only one preliminary deal with a major foreign trading partner affected by the pause, Britain. A deal struck on Tuesday in London with China to de-escalate that bilateral trade war is proceeding on a separate track and timeline. The White House did not immediately respond to a question about whether Trump shared Bessent's view. Trump announced the pause on April 9, a week after unveiling "Liberation Day" tariffs against nearly all U.S. trading partners that proved to be so unexpectedly large and sweeping that it sent global financial markets into near panic. The S&P 500 Index plunged more than 12% in four days for its heftiest run of losses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Investors were so rattled they bailed out of safe-haven U.S. Treasury securities, sending bond yields rocketing higher. The dollar sank. Markets started their recovery on April 9 when Trump unexpectedly announced the pause. A further leg up in the recovery followed in early May when the Trump team reached a preliminary deal to dial back the triple-digit tariff rates it had imposed on goods from China. The events have given rise to what some on Wall Street have parodied as the "TACO" trade - an acronym for Trump Always Chickens Out. "The only time the market has reacted positively is when the administration is in retreat from key policy areas," Democratic Representative Don Beyer of Virginia told Bessent before pressing him on what should be expected at the end of the next deadline next month. "As I have said repeatedly there are 18 important trading partners. We are working toward deals with those," Bessent said before going on to signal a willingness to offer extensions to those negotiating in good faith. (Reporting By Dan Burns; Editing by Chris Reese and Daniel Wallis)

Zelensky urges 'stronger' EU sanctions on Russia, lower oil price cap
Zelensky urges 'stronger' EU sanctions on Russia, lower oil price cap

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Zelensky urges 'stronger' EU sanctions on Russia, lower oil price cap

President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 11 called on the European Union to impose tougher sanctions against Russia, arguing that stronger financial pressure is necessary to curb Moscow's war effort. Speaking at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, Zelensky said the upcoming 18th EU sanctions package "could be stronger," especially in targeting Russian oil tankers and the financial sector. He urged the EU to further reduce the price cap on Russian oil exports. "A ceiling of $45 per barrel of oil is better than $60, that's clear, that's true. But real peace will come with a ceiling of $30," he said. "That's the level that will really change the mindset in Moscow." After the 17th package of sanctions against Russia took effect on May 20, Ukraine's allies announced the following day that another round of restrictions was already in the works. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on June 10 that the EU is considering lowering the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel — a measure that will be discussed at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada on June 15–17. The Kremlin's budget is increasingly strained by soaring military expenditures, with Russia's Finance Ministry relying heavily on energy revenues to fund the war against Ukraine. The push for tighter sanctions comes as Russia continues to reject ceasefire proposals and presses forward with military operations. Zelensky warned that Odesa remains one of Russia's "main targets," with plans to push beyond it toward the borders with Romania and Moldova. "Russia wants to destroy it, as it has done with countless cities and villages in the occupied territories," he said. "Russian military plans point to this region — Odesa — and then to the border with Moldova and Romania." Odesa is a major port city in southern Ukraine, located on the northwestern coast of the Black Sea. The president warned of possible destabilization efforts in the broader region, comparing the Kremlin's strategy to its previous interference in the Balkans. "We saw this before in the Balkans, where Russia intensified interethnic friction, carried out sabotage, and even attempted coups," Zelensky said. The Odesa summit was attended by several southeastern European leaders, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Romania's newly elected President Nicusor Dan. Vucic's trip marked his first official visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Read also: Ukrainian drones strike targets in Russia, including gunpowder plant, General Staff says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.

U.S. to Withdraw Diplomats from Iraq Amid Iran Tensions
U.S. to Withdraw Diplomats from Iraq Amid Iran Tensions

New York Times

timean hour ago

  • New York Times

U.S. to Withdraw Diplomats from Iraq Amid Iran Tensions

The State Department has decided to reduce its diplomatic presence in Iraq, the department said in a statement on Wednesday, as tensions spike amid signs that nuclear diplomacy between the United States and Iran may be deadlocked. Word of the U.S. decision, along with a warning from the United Kingdom about new threats to Middle East commercial shipping, came hours after President Trump said in a podcast released Wednesday that he has grown 'less confident' about the prospects for a deal with Iran that would limit its ability to develop nuclear weapons. American and Iranian negotiators have been planning to meet later this week for another round of talks, although Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday that Iran had adopted an 'unacceptable' negotiating position. The British warning came from the country's maritime trade agency, which issued a public advisory saying that it had 'been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.' The advisory urged commercial vessels transiting the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to use heightened caution. The sense of alarm was heightened by comments from Iran's defense minister, General Aziz Nasirzadeh, who warned on Wednesday that in the event of a conflict following failed nuclear talks, the United States would suffer heavy losses from Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East. His comments were reported by Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency. The State Department did not provide details on how many personnel would be removed from Iraq, or why. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that nonessential U.S. personnel would be withdrawn from Baghdad, and that nonessential personnel and family members of diplomats had been authorized to depart from U.S. embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store