Conservative commentator Nana Akua has voiced strong criticism of Labour’s proposed youth mobility program aimed at facilitating opportunities for young people between the UK and the EU.
Akua questioned the feasibility of the plan, stating, “I can’t even see how they’re going to manage this. How do you create a structure that enables one in, one out?” Her concerns reflect skepticism about the government’s ability to effectively implement such a system given ongoing challenges with border control.
The scheme would permit individuals under 30 from both regions to reside and work within each other’s countries. While details remain unclear, GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope suggests Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is showing increasing support for the proposal, potentially as a way to manage net migration figures.
“It looks like an idea that Yvette Cooper is quite keen on. She’s very much against anything that might increase the net migration figures,”
said Hope, describing the “one in, one out” concept as creating a “revolving door” system.
Akua highlighted this perceived difficulty, drawing a comparison to the current struggles with managing Channel crossings: “They can’t even manage people coming here in a dinghy across the Channel. They’re processing people really slowly. How are they going to… where’s the manpower to process them one in, one out?”
Hope acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the practicalities of implementation, stating, “I don’t know yet… I think you’re asking the question.” He noted that while the Prime Minister has indicated a desire for reduced migration figures—likely lower than the nearly one million recorded in the previous year—specific targets remain unstated.
Despite potential benefits, government officials have been keen to emphasize that any new mobility scheme would not represent a return to pre-Brexit freedom of movement.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed clarified this position on Times Radio: “We were very clear in our manifesto that there won’t be any return to the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement and that remains our position.”
Notably, discussions about youth mobility were absent from the official record following a meeting between Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Reports indicate Yvette Cooper’s previous reservations regarding the scheme have softened, with her now reportedly supportive of a “capped” version designed to prevent any resurgence of unrestricted movement. Government sources confirm that the Home Secretary now supports the proposal but with limitations in place.
- Proposed Scheme: Allows young people (under 30) from the UK and EU to live and work in each other’s countries.
- Key Concern: Feasibility of a “one in, one out” system given current border control challenges.
- Government Stance: No return to pre-Brexit freedom of movement.
