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Call for more visas to ease the shortage of British workers in sectors such as hospitality and tourism, says an influential think tank
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More temporary visas should be issued to foreign workers under the age of 30 to alleviate labor shortages in sectors such as hospitality and tourism, according to an influential think tank.
The Youth Mobility Scheme has enabled people aged 18 to 30 from countries such as Australia and Canada to work in the UK for two years.
Temporary: The Youth Mobility Scheme already allows 18-30 year olds from countries such as Australia and Canada to work in the UK for two years
They are not allowed to have dependents, have limited access to public services and must have at least £2,530 in savings.
The Policy Exchange, whose advisers include Lord Frost, argues that the scheme should be extended ‘unilaterally’ to all countries of the European Union.
David Goodhart of the Exchange said: ‘It’s a proven plan. It is a temporary, temporary migration involving skilled and unskilled workers.”
He said the scheme should apply to more countries than the current ten. He added: ‘The government doesn’t have the political bandwidth to make deals with 27 individual EU countries and the EU doesn’t want to make an EU-wide deal – fool them. So we have to act unilaterally.’
Kate Nicholls, head of trade organization UKHospitality, also wants the scheme extended.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: ‘We remain open to negotiating Youth Mobility Program schemes with other countries… if partner countries are also prepared to offer the same opportunities to young Britons.’