Starmer Faces Pressure Over Post-Brexit EU Youth Mobility Scheme

Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to finalize a post-Brexit youth mobility visa deal with the European Union, which would allow 18-35-year-olds from both sides to live and work in each other's countries for a limited period. Despite agreeing to continue negotiations, Starmer has been criticized for failing to specify the cap on visas, raising concerns about the potential impact on youth unemployment in the UK, particularly among working-class young people. The government insists the scheme is capped, does not allow access to benefits, nor permits family members to accompany visa holders, and requires payment of an immigration health surcharge. Calls for an improved offer, possibly matching Australia's visa cap of 45,000 annually, aim to unlock benefits for sectors like touring artists, who have struggled with bureaucratic hurdles since Brexit. Nigel Farage and some Conservative MPs have condemned Starmer's approach, accusing him of surrendering to the EU and not adequately defending British interests, though Starmer himself rejects calls to reverse Brexit or rejoin the EU. The youth mobility scheme remains a contentious element of Starmer's broader EU reset deal, which also includes plans for enhanced defense cooperation but lacks detailed implementation plans.