Could Europeans travel and work freely in the UK again?

A new agreement to allow the youth of the European Union (EU) work on it United Kingdom could be put on the table, while relations between the Europeans and the British harbor the hope of a thaw.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet the new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer this week to discuss a closer cooperationwhich could result in a agreement to allow Europeans under 30 years old travel and work more freely in the UK.

The same opportunity would apply to young UK citizens interested in working in the Member States of the EU. As part of the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU in 2020, free movement was eliminated between Europe and the UK, ending the automatic right of EU and UK citizens to move and work in either region without the need for work visas.

Today, most EU citizens who want to work in the UK for more than six months must apply for a skilled worker visa, which comes with a number of conditions, including having to earn a minimum annual salary of around 46,500 euros.

Exemptions for a very specific group of young people

There is good news for Europeans under 26 who want to work in the UK. A special exemption means they can apply for a skilled worker visa with a lower salaryif they work in an eligible position. The list of applicable positions includes qualified classical ballet dancers, bricklayers, aged care workers and qualified orchestral musicians, among others.

For those young people who meet the criteria, the UK Government has reduced the income threshold to a minimum of £30,960 (37,164.60 euros) per year. Speaking to Times Radio, EU ambassador to the UK Pedro Serrano suggested a plan that would allow young people to move freely during a gap year, rather than longer.

Serrano said: “If we have a mechanism that allows young British citizens to go on a gap year, for example, they can choose between 27 states of the European Union to study a little and pay for it while they are there. Why not?”.

“If people want to stay longer to work, It’s a totally different process.. This would be limited in time.” He added: “There is fear of migration. It is an important issue not only in this country but also in Europe. And we have to see how we are going to face it, working together more effectively. But it has nothing to do with the youth mobility plan.”

The hospitality sector notices the loss of young Europeans

Before Brexit, the UK hospitality sector was heavily reliant on young workers from the EU, particularly from Romania, Poland and Spainwho made up a significant part of the workforce.

According to the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), in 2019 EU citizens They represented 12.3% of the workforce of the country’s hospitality industry. Around 120,000 EU workers have left the UK hospitality sector since 2019, contributing to a significant skills gap in the industry.

To help fill that void, more Brits are entering the industryaccording to a report by hospitality staffing company Caterer.com. The organization found that three in five employers are receiving more applications from UK workers than ever before, but more than 28,000 vacancies advertised on its site remain unfilled.

Italy’s main newspaper, ‘Couriere della Sera’, regretted last month loss of job opportunities for young Italians who want to be part of the UK hospitality sector. In April, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rejected an EU offer to strike a post-Brexit deal allowing young Britons to live, study or work in the bloc for up to four years.

The then UK opposition leader, Keir Starmer, also rejected the idea of a youth mobility plan. Since becoming prime minister in July, Starmer has maintained his position, despite pushing to improve the UK’s working relationship with the EU.