The number of youth mobility deal participants coming to the United Kingdom (UK) considerably declined in 2023.
The low numbers have raised concerns about the accessibility and attractiveness of the country for international youth exchanges.
However, as reported by The Guardian, it also prompted renewed hopes for a youth mobility agreement between the UK and the European Union (EU).
A youth mobility deal between two countries allows citizens aged 18 to 30 to study, work, and travel in the partner country for two or three years.
A UK-EU youth mobility deal could reinvigorate opportunities for young people from both sides to live, work, and study abroad.
Currently, post-Brexit visa rules restrict European youth’s opportunities across the English Channel and vice versa.
Only 23,000 UK youth participants in 2023
Only 23,000 youth mobility participants arrived in the UK in 2023. However, in the first half of 2024, the number of participants surged to 15,259.
Still, this is only a fraction of the country’s overall net migration figure, recorded at 685,000 recorded in 2023.
This low figure could help convince the UK to yield to pressure to agree on a youth mobility deal with the EU.
The UK currently has youth bilateral agreements with 13 countries, which allow participants to stay in the UK for up to two years.
These countries include Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, among others.
Last year, the highest number of UK Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visas came from Australia, with 9,900 youths. New Zealand came in second with 5,300.
These numbers have fallen far below expectations after some participant quotas were raised at the beginning of this year.
This has raised concerns about the program’s current appeal and questions about the reasons for the drop in numbers.
Higher visa fees, new health surcharges, and strict post-Brexit regulations could have affected the number of participants.
The application fee for the YMS visa also increased from £259 to £298 in October 2023.
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fees for those under the YMS visa in 2023 are set at £470 annually.
The IHS has also been raised to £776 annually beginning February 2024.
These additional costs, which should be paid before the YMS participant comes to the UK, could deter more young people from applying.
UK-EU Youth Mobility Deal: Where Do Things Stand?
The UK rejected the EU’s youth mobility proposal in April 2024. It has so far remained firm against restoring the EU’s freedom of movement.
The EU’s proposed scheme would allow young citizens from both sides to work, travel, and study for up to four years.
It also eliminates higher visa fees and health surcharges typically paid by those who want to work and study in the UK.
Additionally, the EU pushed for equal tuition fees for European students to make studying in the UK more affordable.
This means that EU youth would pay the same amount as British youth instead of the higher tuition charged to international students.
The UK Government prefers negotiating bilateral agreements with individual countries instead of a blanket deal with all EU Member States.
Still, the pressure on the UK Government to agree to a youth mobility deal with the EU has been increasing.
This has been the case since the new Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, promised to reset EU relations.
The EU has been reportedly working on a fresh youth mobility deal proposal for the UK.
Among the changes reportedly considered include doing away with the study option and equal tuition fees.
The new proposal could also involve reducing the youth mobility agreement period from four years to two.
Still, the EU has yet to announce any new youth mobility proposal for the UK.
What to expect in the future
It is important to note that youth mobility programs differ from the EU’s free movement policy.
As Miguel Berger, Germany’s ambassador to the UK, emphasizes, Youth Mobility Schemes are time-limited and visa-based.
YMS does not allow permanent residence or long-term unrestricted access to the labor market. This sets it apart from the free movement policy.
Such an agreement would help fill labor shortages in industries like hospitality and healthcare.
Educational institutions have also voiced concerns about the impact of Brexit on student mobility.
Fewer EU students in British universities means decreased campus diversity and opportunities for cross-cultural learning.
The low figure of youth mobility participants in the UK could help improve the chances of a UK-EU youth mobility deal.
Such an agreement could offer young people on both sides of the Channel the chance to work, study, and experience life abroad.
Still, the UK remains cautious about reintroducing anything that resembles free movement.