European Union citizens could be allowed to work in Britain for up to three years under a reciprocal ‘youth mobility scheme’, a senior minister has indicated.

Nick Thomas-Symonds said he aimed to model the scheme on those the UK already has with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

These allow those aged 18-30 to live and work her for two years, with a possible year extension, but have a cap on the number allowed it.

The EU Relations Minister had been battling Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who reportedly wanted the scheme to have a 12-month limit, as those here for longer feature in migration statistics.

The length of the scheme Mr Thomas-Symonds is looking to confirm with Brussels is likely to raise fears that it is a way of re-introducing freedom of movement for thousands of foreign workers.

The UK’s mobility agreement with Australia is capped at 45,00, although only 9,750 visas were issued in 2024. But the EU has pushed for a much higher cap.

Speaking to the Times Mr Thomas-Symonds said he planned to ‘deliver the smart, controlled, balanced scheme that I agreed on in the common understanding’, which would be longer than 12 months.

‘There’s 13 of them that already exist, and it’s in that context that we will be negotiating with the EU but the idea or suggestion that this is somehow freedom of movement is completely wrong,’ he said.

Nick Thomas-Symonds (pictured in May with European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic) said he aimed to model the scheme on those the UK already has with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

These allow those aged 18-30 to live and work her for two years, with a possible year extension, but have a cap on the number allowed it.

‘Nobody says we have freedom of movement with Andorra or Uruguay, with whom we already have youth mobility schemes.’

In May EU official last night suggested it would want the scheme to be similar in scale to the one Britain has with Australia.

However, given the EU’s population is 450million, compared to Australia’s 26million, it raises the prospect of allowing in 500,000 from the continent.

The Brussels official told the Times at the time: ‘Are Australians better than Europeans? If the same model applies, then the numbers would have to be much higher or it would be hurtful.

‘What is the British problem with our young people, our children?’ 

Downing Street has insisted there are a series of ‘red lines’ for those continuing discussions.

These include EU migrants not being able to bring dependents or claim benefits under the proposed scheme, while they must pay to use the NHS.

No10 also stressed there would be a cap on the number of youth visas that would be issued to EU nationals.