Latest news with #youthvisa
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
‘Massive step forward' for post-Brexit youth visa scheme
The European Union has given approval to begin detailed discussions with the UK regarding post- Brexit youth visas. Campaigners have hailed this decision as a "massive step forward" for young people in the UK, aiming to restore opportunities lost after Brexit. The proposed scheme would allow 18 to 30-year-olds from the UK to work in EU countries and young EU citizens to work in the UK for short periods. Conditions for the youth visa scheme include no access to benefits, no accompanying family members, and payment of an immigration health surcharge. This development follows a recent poll indicating that a majority of Britons now desire the UK to rejoin the European Union.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Post-Brexit youth visa scheme with EU given green light in major step towards closer ties with the bloc
The European Union has given the green light to post- Brexit youth visas with the UK, after member states approved talks on how they would work in practice. Campaigners welcomed what they hailed as a 'massive step forward for young people in the UK.' The European Council, which comprises the leaders of EU member countries, has backed opening up detailed discussions with the UK to determine how many visas would be issued and what conditions they would have. Britons lost the right to live and work in the UK, so-called 'freedom of movement', and vice versa, after the UK left the bloc. But there have long been calls for a scheme for 18-30 years olds that would allow Brits to work on the continent, and young people from EU countries to come here, for a short period of a few years. Britain already has similar agreements on youth mobility with 13 separate countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Iceland, Uruguay, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Most of these are open to 18 to 30-year-olds or 18 to 35-year-olds, depending on where they are from, and allow them to live and work in the UK for up to two years. But idea of a youth visa deal with the EU has proven controversial, with Labour ministers forced to defend it and deny it's a return to pre-Brexit style freedom of movement. Earlier this year Downing Street made clear that anyone coming to the UK as part of a youth mobility scheme with the EU will not be able to access benefits, nor bring family members with them. It is understood that they would also have to pay an immigration health surcharge to use the NHS. The council has now adopted plans to open official negotiations with the UK on such a scheme. Alfred Quantrill, from the Young European Movement UK, said: "The EU deciding to formally start talks on a Youth Experience Scheme is a massive step forward for young people in the UK. "Young Brits deserve the same chances enjoyed by most of their peers across the continent. 'Whether you call it a Youth Experience Scheme or Mobility Scheme, it amounts to the same - more opportunities for a whole generation of young Brits who have seen their chances of working and studying abroad shrinking for a decade. "That means rejoining schemes like Erasmus+, but also opening up broader access to apprenticeships, internships, and leisure. While our parents could freely work, study and travel across borders, this generation is trapped by paperwork and high costs. The Youth Experience Scheme is Starmer's chance to fix this failure." The moves comes just days after a poll showed that nearly nine years on from the narrow Brexit referendum result, which led to the UK leaving the union, most Britons want to see the UK return to the EU. 'Bregretful' about the outcome of the vote, which ended David Cameron 's term as prime minister.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EU migrants told they WON'T be able to bring family members to Britain or claim benefits - and will have to pay to use the NHS - under Keir Starmer's youth visa scheme with Brussels
Young people in the EU looking to come to Britain on a proposed youth visa have been warned they won't be able to bring their family members or claim benefits. As part of his Brexit 'reset' deal, Sir Keir Starmer has agreed to continue talks with Brussels on a so-called 'youth experience' scheme. This could see thousands of 18 to 35-year-olds from the EU to come to Britain to live and work each year, while also allowing UK youngsters to head to Europe on similar terms. EU member states had demanded a youth mobility scheme in exchange for the Prime Minister's desire for closer post-Brexit defence and trade ties with the bloc. Following a UK-EU summit in London yesterday, it was announced that both sides would 'co-operate futher' on establishing such a scheme. But Downing Street today insisted the Government had set a series of 'red lines' for those continuing discussions. These include EU migrants not being able to bring dependents or claim benefits under the proposed scheme, while they must pay to use the NHS. No10 also stressed there would be a cap on the number of youth visas that would be issued to EU nationals. It has previously been reported that Germany, Poland and Romania are particularly concerned about EU migrants in Britain having to pay healthcare charges. There was also said to be wider anger within the bloc at Britain's insistence on an annual cap - suggested at around 70,000 - for youth visas. Setting out the Government's 'red lines', the PM's official spokesman told reporters this afternoon: 'We can rule out allowing any dependents or access to benefits. 'And people will still have to pay the immigration health surcharge. That is a feature of the youth mobility schemes we have with 13 countries. 'All of our schemes are capped, they require a visa application, they require a visa fee, they require an immigration health surcharge. 'And participants have no right to bring dependents or access benefits.' Downing Street declined to say when a youth mobility scheme with the EU might be finalised. 'We'll now be working with the EU on the details and we'll provide an update on that in due course,' Sir Keir's spokesman added. He also stressed that an EU scheme would 'mirror' the existing youth mobility schemes the UK has with other countries. Britain currently has such schemes with Andorra, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, San Marino, Taiwan, and Uruguay. Under the UK's youth mobility scheme with Australia, applicants must have £2,530 in savings, pay a £298 application fee, and stump up £776 per year to use the NHS. Those aged 18 to 35 from Australia can apply for a youth mobility visa to live and work in the UK for up to two years, with the possibility for a one-year extension. For this year, the number of youth visas is capped at 42,000 for Australians, 10,000 for Canadians, 9,500 for New Zealanders, and 6,000 for those from Japan. But the actual number of visas granted is much less, with just over 24,000 youth mobility visas issued by the UK across all 13 schemes in 2024. The PM's spokesman said: 'We were very clear yesterday that any youth experience scheme would mirror the schemes that we have with other countries. 'And all of our schemes, including any prospective scheme with the EU, would be capped, would not allow participants to bring dependents or access benefits, and would require the immigration health surcharge to apply. 'That absolutely will be the case for the prospective scheme. That's a clear set of conditions for all of our schemes.'
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Five unanswered questions in UK-EU deal
The UK and the European Union have agreed to a major new deal covering areas including trade, defence, fishing and energy. However, negotiations are still taking place on a number of key issues - leaving some important questions unanswered. How much will the UK pay? The deal makes several references to a "financial contribution" from the UK to access certain benefits, notably an agreement to reduce checks on food exports to the EU. The prime minister's official spokesman said these were "administrative costs". He insisted they would not be "big" but refused to put a figure on how much the UK would pay. In other areas, terms are still being negotiated so the cost to the UK isn't known example, the two sides are working towards the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ exchange programme, which allows students to study or do work placements abroad. Rather than simply covering administrative costs, the UK would be expecting to get direct benefits in return and the government has said it will only take part "on significantly improved financial terms". How many people will benefit from youth visa scheme? The UK has agreed to work towards a "youth experience scheme" with the EU, which would allow young people from the bloc to apply for a visa to live and work in the UK and vice versa. The government has said any such deal would be "capped and time-limited" but it has not specified how many visas could be issued annually and how long they would be valid details will be the subject of future UK already has similar schemes with 11 countries including Australia, New Zealand and Japan, with people able to stay for up to three years depending on which country they are from. Last year, just over 24,000 youth mobility visas were issued by the UK. When can British travellers use e-gates? Since Brexit, British travellers at EU airports have generally been forced to have their passport stamped at manned desks, rather than use automatic gates with facial recognition technology. Some airports already allow British passport-holders to use e-gates - but for those that don't the only alternative is often a lengthy queue. The deal states that there will be "no legal barriers" to Britons using e-gates when travelling to and from EU countries after the introduction of the European Union Entry-Exit System. The long-awaited digital border checks system is due to replace passport stamping for travellers from outside the EU in Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said UK holidaymakers will want to get away "without delay" this summer and he wants them to be able to use e-gates "as soon as possible". But it is up to individual EU countries to decide whether British passport holders can use e-gates at their airports. So whether this will be possible in more countries by the summer holidays is unclear. Will it be easier for British bands to tour Europe? Since Brexit, British musicians have faced extra costs and red tape when touring Europe - and stars have long called for action to tackle this. Labour's general election manifesto last year pledged to "help our touring artists" as part of negotiations with the EU. But the deal agreed on Monday only recognises the "value" of touring artists and promises to continue efforts "to support travel and cultural exchange". The UK says it will explore "how best to improve arrangements for touring across the European continent".Tom Kiehl, chief executive of UK Music, which represents the industry, welcomed this as "an important first step" but said the sector was seeking "more concrete commitments". Will UK qualifications be recognised in the EU? Another promise in Labour's manifesto was to "secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters". This would mean professionals - such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and architects - who qualified in one country could practice in another with minimal extra bureaucracy. EU citizens already have the right to do this across the bloc. Such an agreement would make it easier for British companies to move staff between the UK and EU and undertake short-term work in Europe. However, there may be less incentive for the EU to reach a deal on this, given that the current situation makes it harder for UK firms to compete for business in deal only promises to set up "dedicated dialogues" on the recognition of professional qualifications. A full agreement in this area could take much longer to negotiate, if the EU will sign up to one at all. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
The Independent
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Youth mobility, defence and £25bn in trade: Everything we know about the UK-EU ‘Brexit reset' talks
Sir Keir Starmer faces one of the biggest days of his premiership on Monday, when he is expected to unveil his plans for Britain's post-Brexit reset deal towards closer ties with the EU. Although officials were still locked in negotiations on Sunday night, the prime minister is hopeful of a deal to rebuild ties with the bloc after years of tension and mistrust under the Conservatives. Sir Keir has made the reset a centrepiece of his administration, but has been keen to stress that its scope will be limited while the Brexit vote will be respected. So when European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa appear at the first EU and UK bilateral summit since Brexit on Monday afternoon, he will be keen to show progress has been made. It is being seen more as a jumping off point for further negotiations, with both sides agreeing in principle where they would like closer ties. Some issues will prove thornier than others, and with the prime minister under fire over his approach to immigration, The Independent has looked at what issues are on the table in Monday's reset. The biggest thing on the agenda is likely to be the announcement of a planned youth visa scheme - which would let under-30s study, live and work between Britain and the continent for a number of years. Exactly how many years, and what number the scheme is capped at, will prove controversial, with the Home Office pushing back on measures that will boost spiralling migration figures the government is desperately trying to cut. But the scheme has been a key ask of European countries, who believe it will benefit both sides, and is being seen as a test of how serious Sir Keir is about resetting ties after years of acrimony under the Conservatives. Defence and security Both Britain and Brussels have expressed an interest in strengthening cooperation on defence and security. A pact would allow British firms to access a major European defence fund - under which EU countries will spend 150bn euros buying air defence systems, drones and other military equipment - set up in response to US President Donald Trump 's apparent reluctance to guarantee the continent's security. It would build on a bilateral pact struck between the UK and Germany, under which the Luftwaffe is operating from a base. There are reports that some EU countries, including France, want to link wider talks - including around a defence pact - to fishing in a bid to pressure Britain into agreeing a deal. France and other European countries are seeking continued access to British fishing waters after June 2026, rather than having to renegotiate quotas every year. The fishing industry is relatively small in the context of the post-Brexit reset, but has taken on outsized influence in talks. Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds hinted Britain was prepared to move towards the EU's position and allow ongoing access. Downing Street pointed out that European fishers will already have access to British waters under the current deal beyond 2026, hinting that the terms of access are up for renegotiation in the reset. But the PM's official spokesman has stressed British fishermen would be protected. Food standards One of Labour 's manifesto pledges was to strike a veterinary agreement to cut unnecessary border checks and bring down the cost of food for British consumers. The promised agreement on food and agricultural standards, or sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, would see Britain agree to European food rules in order to reduce red tape for exporters and cut checks on food between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič has said an SPS agreement would require Britain accepting dynamic alignment with EU rules - likely to spark uproar among Brexiteers. Easing some trade barriers Removing trade barriers on goods, including food and drink and electrical items, could result in a 2.2 per cent uplift in gross domestic product in the long run, boosting the economic growth the prime minister so desperately wants to deliver by nearly £25bn a year, according to analysis shared exclusively with The Independent. From the £24.8bn export boost for the UK estimated by Frontier Economics, in a report commissioned by pro-EU group Best for Britain, farm food exports alone could see a £3.2bn increase. The EU, meanwhile, would also benefit, with a £22.4bn boost to exports in goods and services from a closer agreement, selling £5bn more in agricultural products. And a separate assessment by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) warns that a failure to land a deal for easier trading could lead to a 2.7 per cent drop in exports by 2027, costing the UK economy almost £30bn. Migration The UK-EU summit will also see both sides discuss migration, with Britain hoping Europe will help Sir Keir's ambition of tackling the people smuggling gangs transporting migrants across the English Channel. One way the EU could help would be agreeing a returns deal with Britain, whereby migrants who arrive in the UK could be returned to France or the continent, with the UK resettling migrants from the EU in return. Labour also hopes to gain access to European crime and illegal migration data to go after the gangs, though suffered a blow when this was reportedly rejected by the EU. Labour also promised at the election to help touring artists, whose lives have been blighted by Brexit, access the continent more easily. They can currently only work for 90 out of every 180 days on the continent, making longer tours more difficult, while prohibitive amounts of paperwork and transport issues has made it more time-consuming and less profitable. But EU experts have said a deal to ease restrictions on touring artists could be thornier as it would require a state-by-state rewrite of customs rules around how artists travel between countries. Passport queues British tourists arriving in Europe could be able to use EU passport gates at airports once again under Sir Keir's reset deal. The UK's lead negotiator and EU minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the government was pushing for measures to speed up the process, saying it would give people 'more time to spend on holiday or work trips… doing what you want, not being stuck in queues'. Mutual recognition Campaigners have consistently called for the mutual recognition of qualifications between the UK and EU, and Labour's manifesto promised to deliver it. It would allow professionals qualified in the UK to practice in the EU and vice versa, without having to requalify and with minimal additional bureaucracy. It is not known which jobs could benefit but the Law Society has already hailed the opportunity for UK lawyers to learn and practice in the EU, while others that could be covered could include accountants and architects. The existing Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which underpins Britain's post-Brexit trading relationship with the EU, allows for mutual recognition deals to be negotiated sector by sector, so negotiators could settle on this as an initial approach, in what would be a boost for firms in Britain's key services sector. Energy cooperation The government is also looking at linking Britain and the EU's emissions trading systems, under which companies can buy and sell permits for their level of carbon emissions. Economists have said that linking the two schemes would expand the liquidity of permits being traded in both and boost the net zero transmission. It could also avoid fresh border friction if the EU imposed a tax on carbon-intensive imports such as steel, cement and fertiliser, which MPs had raised concerns about. What is not in Sir Keir's plans? Labour has repeatedly stressed its red lines throughout talks with Britain's European counterparts. There will be no return to the European single market, under which goods can be traded freely between countries in the bloc, the customs union, which standardises tariffs for non-member countries, or freedom of movement, under which people were allowed to travel and live across member states. The red lines are Labour's bid to head off allegations that the party is seeking to betray Brexit. It comes after the PM stressed the need to slash net migration - even taking on his own party over the issue. And the final shape of any youth mobility scheme will be a prime target for political attacks on Labour and Sir Keir. Any acceptance of dynamic alignment with EU rules will also see Sir Keir facing allegations he has allowed Britain to again become a 'rule taker' not a 'rule maker', a key argument for Brexit in the referendum.
