EU finally backs down in battle with UK over migrant scheme | Politics | News
The EU has partially granted Sir Keir Starmer’s request by offering an “emergency brake” on a new youth mobility scheme with the UK. Brussels is resisting the prime minister’s calls for a hard limit on the number of people coming to the UK under the scheme.
The scheme, which will allow young Europeans to live, work and study in the UK, is part of Sir Keir’s “Brexit reset” with the bloc. Details of the plan are still being worked out at a time when Britain and the EU are described as having significant differences in reaching a deal. Reports suggest that in a bid to end the deadlock, the EU is proposing a so-called emergency brake if numbers arriving in the UK become too high.
An EU official told Telegram There may be “a monitoring system to ensure that both parties are equally satisfied with the operation of the program.”
“This is about managing flows rather than an ex ante number,” they added.
Reports show that the Home Office and Foreign Office insist the plan must put a hard cap on the numbers.
According to The Guardian, the UK wants to secure its youth mobility scheme by the end of this year.
Under the plans, tens of thousands of young British and European citizens will be given the right to live and work in each other’s countries.
It is said that there are differences between the UK and the EU regarding university tuition fees within the scope of the program.
EU officials are pushing for students on the continent to pay the same fees as their British counterparts, rather than the higher fees charged to international students, The Telegraph reports.
A UK Government spokesman said: “Any final program must be time-limited, capped and based on our existing youth mobility plans, which do not include access to home tuition fee status.”
