British Under-30s Could Work Freely in EU Under Youth Scheme
Brussels is in talks with member states to let young Britons work in any job in Europe under the Youth Experience Scheme, as Andy Burnham prepares for next month’s UK-EU summit in Brussels. Earlier negotiations had raised fears that British under-30s would face tighter restrictions than their EU counterparts, because individual states control work visas. The UK side would accept the arrangement.
Numbers remain unresolved: Britain wants to keep arrivals below 50,000, while the EU wants a cap of 150,000 visas. Member states are considering delaying their demand for young Europeans to access home fee status, one of the thorniest issues, which Britain has resisted amid pressure from universities. Burnham has warned that “sticking with the status quo is not good enough” and has reopened the rejoin debate. A European Movement UK survey found Britons would vote by 57 to 30 per cent to rejoin. The government said negotiations were ongoing. The summit will show whether the scheme survives the haggling over caps and fees.