Keir Starmer has reportedly discussed a possible youth mobility scheme with the Spanish Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is said to have made the proposal to Starmer during a closed-door meeting during the European Political Community leaders’ summit at Blenheim Palace earlier this month.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Starmer did not reject the idea and told Sanchez he would consider it.
In recent years, there has been growing demand for a system that would allow young people to live, study and work in the EU for a set period of time.
In April, European Commission President Rishi Sunak rejected a European Commission proposal to allow free movement for 18-30 year-olds for up to four years.
At the time, Labour said it had no such plans but would “strive to improve cooperation between the UK and the EU where we are non-negotiable”.
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When the Labour Party won the general election earlier this month, its manifesto stated that “freedom of movement will not be restored”. The bilateral agreement with Spain does not in itself breach that pledge.
The UK already has some form of youth mobility scheme with 13 non-EU countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Iceland and Uruguay.
The existing system differs from freedom of movement in that it still requires applicants to obtain a visa, demonstrate sufficient funds to support themselves, and pay a health service surcharge.
A Government spokesman told the Telegraph: “We have been clear that we will not rejoin the single market or customs union, we will not reintroduce freedom of movement and we are not considering any youth mobility schemes.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan in January called for a deal to allow young people to travel freely across the EU, saying it would help mitigate the economic and cultural damage caused by Brexit.
He said the current EU withdrawal deal was “damaging to all of London and young people are the ones who are hit hardest in every way”.
