The United Kingdom has rejected the EU’s proposal to facilitate youth mobility between Europeans on both sides of the Channel.
Last week, the Commission of the EU said that it wants to begin negotiations with the UK to make it easier for young citizens of the EU and the UK to study, work, and live in the UK and the EU for extended periods without having to undergo strict conditions.
However, the UK government has immediately refused to start talks on the matter, stressing that it prefers to reach agreements with specific countries individually rather than with the entire bloc, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
EU Commission Proposed to Permit Stays of Up to 4 Years in Each Other’s Territories
In its proposal, the Commission of the EU said that since Brexit, the movement of people between the two regions has dropped significantly.
Therefore, it stated that an agreement to tackle the current barriers that young EU and UK citizens face is necessary.
The Commission recommended that EU and UK citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 are permitted to stay for up to four years in the destination country without having to undergo visa procedures.
Under the same proposal, the Commission has also set out terms for tuition fees in an attempt to make it easier for citizens of the EU and UK to study under facilitated rules in each other’s territories.
We Have No Plans on Introducing Free Movement With EU, UK Government Spokesperson Said
While the EU Commission said that this agreement would help to rebuild human bridges, a UK government spokesman said that the country would not be introducing an EU-wide Youth Mobility Scheme.
The spokesman also stressed that the free movement with the EU has been ended and that the country has no plans to introduce it.
Free movement within the EU was ended and there are no plans to introduce it.
According to Sky News, the spokespersons further noted that the UK will remain open to reaching agreements with international partners, including individual member states of the EU.
The same source explains that the Labour Party has also ruled out the proposal of the EU Commission.
A spokesperson for the Labour Party said that the proposal from the Commission came due to allegations that the UK government is approaching other European countries with the purpose of establishing mobility agreements.
The spokesperson also said that if the Labour Party wins the election, the Labour government will seek to improve the working relationship between the UK and the EU “within red lines”.
