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Brexit is going so well, the government now wants to undo some of its hardline policies. The Home Office is reportedly putting the groundwork in place to allow thousands of young workers from the EU and Switzerland to fill job vacancies in the UK.
George Eustice, one of the biggest Brexit cheerleaders within the Conservative Party, recently made a sobering admission in regards to the referendum result. He’s encouraging the free movement of citizens between the UK and the EU – and it looks like his calls have been heeded.
As per The Times, the Tories are looking to implement ‘youth mobility schemes’ with France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. The reciprocal agreement would allow workers aged 18-30 to plug some key gaps in the labour market, granting them two-year visas.
The scheme could eventually be rolled all to all EU member countries, but its understood that this phase won’t be implemented in the short-term. Jobs such as baristas, au pairs, and hospitality staff are amongst those facing critical shortages.
Such a move would mark a dramatic u-turn on the government’s current policy. Stringent rules on who can apply to work in the UK have caused employment gaps in many key industries, stifling the economy and helping to turn public sentiment against Brexit.
The policy shift comes at a time where support for Brexit has essentially collapsed. New opinion polls show a large majority of Brits now want to rejoin the EU – but neither of the two main political parties believe that reunification is the best way forward.
Further concessions could also be in the pipeline. Within the next month, the Migration Advisory Committee is expected to publish its recommendations for how post-Brexit immigration should work. The youth visa scheme, therefore, may only be the start of these reversals.
