Walter Finch
THE UK’s Labour government has reportedly rejected a bilateral working holiday visa agreement with Spain.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a recent meeting with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez where it is believed that he ruled out the deal on a bilateral working holiday visa deal.
The UK currently has youth mobility schemes with 13 non-EU countries, including popular destinations such as New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.
However, there are no such agreements with EU countries, reflecting the UK’s stance on not rejoining the single market or customs union, nor reintroducing freedom of movement.
The news will come as a blow to youngsters in Spain and the UK after hopes were raised by news reports suggesting Sanchez had approached Starmer about a possible deal at a meeting of European leaders on July 18 at Blenheim Palace.
The deal would allow young Spanish people to live and work in the UK, with Brits aged between 18 and 30 able to head to Spain without current post-Brexit visa restrictions.
In April, prior to the general election, Starmer rejected the idea of an EU-wide youth mobility deal floated by officials in Brussels amid fears such a move would increase net migration figures.
The deal was also criticised by figures within the EU who accused the UK of trying to ‘divide and conquer’ Europe by striking bilateral deals with individual countries.
