UK Travel industry wants an ease of freedom of movement for seasonal workers

According to immigration observatory data, as of December 31st 2022 there were 412,040 Britons who were residents in Spain, that figures has risen slightly but it would have even more if new rules, regulations and restrictions such as the 90-day rule was scrapped and the freedom of movement reintroduced, especially for young people looking for seasonal work. Spain’s economy is the fastest growing in the EU, boosted in part by a wave of skilled immigrants from Latin America who have plugged labour shortages in sectors such as technology and hospitality.

The Spanish government has said that low-skilled migrants has helped the economy, working in “invisible jobs”. Without them sectors such as construction, agriculture and hospitality would collapse. But now the UK is a “third country”, will Britons be included in the new law on making it easier for migrants to come with a series of initiatives, including recognising academic qualifications for temporary workers, simplifying contracts as part of a new labour migration programme, and reducing red tape for residency applications?

In the UK travel body ABTA is continuing to lobby for expansion of the Youth Mobility Scheme. Mark Tanzer, the Chief Executive, said this week: “It’s been another busy few weeks for our Public Affairs team as momentum builds among MPs and Peers regarding the possibility to expand the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) to European countries. We have continued our efforts to engage with political stakeholders, urging the government to expand the Scheme between the UK and the EU to help travel businesses address skills and labour shortages.

“It is clear that the UK’s departure from the EU has created new barriers for UK travel businesses providing holidays in Europe, not least of which is restricted staff mobility – the ability of UK travel businesses to hire UK nationals to work in the EU and support the delivery of holidays to UK travellers.

“Ahead of introducing his Bill to expand the YMS to EU countries earlier this month, James MacCleary MP engaged with ABTA and reviewed data and member case studies provided by our Public Affairs team. In his speech, he highlighted our findings that the number of UK nationals in temporary roles within the tourism sector across Europe has declined significantly – by 69% – since the UK’s departure from the EU. He also addressed how post-Brexit mobility restrictions have negatively impacted UK travel businesses.

“Parliamentary debates on this topic also took place this week. Our Public Affairs team shared data and raised members’ concerns about UK-EU mobility restrictions with MPs ahead of the Westminster Hall debate in the House of Commons, where MPs emphasised the importance of youth mobility for both businesses’ ability to recruit staff and improving opportunities for young people.

“Parliamentary debates provide an opportunity for MPs and Peers to question the government on its plans for UK-EU youth mobility and we always want to ensure they’re equipped with the latest insights and information to represent our members’ interests effectively. Attracting talent to our industry is paramount and the sharp decline in temporary tourism roles across Europe is something our team here at ABTA is focused on. We’re regularly promoting the benefits of the international travel sector to politicians, highlighting our sector’s contribution to the UK economy and what it needs to thrive, and promoting the industry as a great place to work in order to support staff retention and recruitment.”