This template Council Motion was moved by North Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats. It supports the Introduction of a Youth Mobility Scheme between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
This motion fights for the rights and opportunities of young people in your local area that were lost after Brexit. It can be a very engaging campaign if you have communities with young demographics and is also very emotive for areas with a large remain leaning vote.
- A briefing on a Youth Mobility Scheme with the EU can be found here.
- The motion makes use of the 2021 census data to record the number of young people between the age of 18 and 35 who would benefit from the opportunities of a free movement scheme with EU countries. You can find this data for your area from the Office of National Statistics here. Type in your postcode and select ‘Area Profile’.
The motion from North Hertfordshire is below.
This council notes that:
- Opportunities for young people to travel, study, and work abroad foster cultural exchange, personal development, and economic growth.
- The UK previously benefited from the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, which supported youth mobility and exchange. Prior to Brexit, our young people were able to freely travel between member states, and wider European Economic Area (EEA) to live work and study without time limits.
- Since the UK’s departure from the EU, young people in [AREA NAME] and across the UK face increased barriers to living, working, and studying in European countries, limiting opportunities that were previously available. We now have a 90-day limit on the time we can spend in European countries without buying a visa. Young people have been disproportionately impacted by the restrictions on mobility.
- A Youth Mobility Scheme between the UK and the EU would offer structured opportunities for young people to gain international experience and develop skills valuable to their personal and professional futures. In [AREA NAME], according to the 2021 Census, XX,XXX young people aged between 18-35 (XX% of the total population) would be eligible to benefit from the scheme. The ability to experience different cultures and gain a better perspective of the world is extremely valuable, especially for young people.
- Local businesses – especially those in hospitality -would also benefit from the extra temporary personnel offered by young people across the EU taking advantage of the scheme.
- The UK currently has Youth Mobility Schemes with Australia and Japan allowing 18 – 35 year olds to move and work freely between countries for up to 2 years – the UK /EU Youth Mobility Scheme would follow this model. In April 2024 the EU Commission expressed a desire to open negotiations with the UK on a youth mobility scheme for young people aged 18-30, which was rejected by the previous Conservative Government and has yet to be accepted by the current Labour Government.
This council resolves to:
- Publicly endorse the principle of establishing a Youth Mobility Scheme between the UK and the European Union.
- Instruct the Council Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and the Secretary of State for Education, urging them to open negotiations with the European Union to create such a scheme.
Sources
Conservative Government rejects EU free movement for young people offer (BBC)
Office of National Statistics – number of residents of AREA NAME aged 18 to 35