Given that, in the UK, more than half a million EU nationals work in the retail, hotel and restaurant trades (accounting for 14 per cent of the workforce), there is real concern as to whether post-Brexit there will be an adequate supply of low-skilled workers to fill these roles. Our previous blog post looked at permanent residence applications as an option for European workers already in the UK. However, the government is now looking at ways to ensure that the supply of low-skilled workers is sustained post-Brexit.
The government is currently considering a two-year fixed visa for young Europeans who want to work in the UK in certain low-skilled sectors (nicknamed the "barista visa"), a proposal put forward by crossbench peer and Migration Watch UK chair, Lord Green. Applicants for such a visa would not be able to claim benefits or bring dependants into the UK. This would be similar to the youth mobility scheme which allows young people from certain countries (for example, Canada and Australia) to come to the UK to work for up to 24 months. If this were to be implemented, the government would be looking for reciprocal arrangemets in Europe for the UK's young people.
Whether or not the government implements such a visa programme remains to be seen. However, it is good to see that there is growing momentum in working out what the post-Brexit immigration system could look like.
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