…By Enitan Thompson for TDPel Media.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is set to urge the UK government to ease post-Brexit visa rules that have been discouraging young Europeans from visiting and working in the capital.
In a speech to business leaders, Khan will propose the introduction of a new youth group travel visa that would make the UK more open to visits from international school pupils.
A recent survey by the Tourism Alliance, the industry body for UK tourism, found that EU-based tour operators expected to send only 42% of the students to the UK in 2023 compared with how many they sent in 2019.
This compares with 95% for the Republic of Ireland and 90% for other EU countries.
Post-Brexit Border Rules Have Made School Visits to the UK More Difficult
Post-Brexit border rules, especially the requirement for all visiting EU schoolchildren to have passports, is thought to have had a significant impact on school visitor numbers to the UK.
Before Brexit, EU school children could travel using their state-issued European Economic Area (EEA) identity cards.
However, since October 2021, every child entering the UK must have a passport, and children with non-EU passports, including refugees, also need a £95 visa.
Passport ownership is less common in many European countries than in the UK.
This is because many people travel within the EU using their national ID card, with less than half the population of France and Germany holding a passport.
Proposal to Extend the Youth Mobility Scheme
In his speech, Khan will also call for the government’s Youth Mobility Scheme to be extended, in a reciprocal agreement with EU countries.
The scheme allows 18-30 year-olds from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and a few other countries to live and work in the UK for up to two years.
The government’s independent Migration Advisory Committee has long called for the scheme’s expansion.
Khan believes that doing so would promote cultural exchange and support sectors experiencing labour shortages, such as hospitality and catering.
Tourism Industry Reaction
Richard Toomer, executive director of the Tourism Alliance, welcomed the news of the policy proposal.
He said: “London and the rest of the country have so much to offer visitors young and old.
We should be encouraging tourists to come here, not putting up unnecessary barriers.
No longer accepting ID cards at the border has had a massive hit on the numbers of young people coming to visit the UK, especially on organised school trips.”
Toomer added: “Youth Mobility Schemes already exist and urgently need expanding to more countries such as France, Spain, and Poland, so that more young people can benefit.”
Different Views within Labour Party
Khan’s policy proposals highlight the difference in outlook between himself and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer when it comes to Britain’s relationship with the EU.
In January, the Mayor called for a “debate” on whether the UK should re-join the European single market, but Starmer has said that there is “no case for going back to the EU or going back into the single market”.
The Labour leader has instead said there is “a very good case for making Brexit work”.