Keir Starmer has discussed the possibility of a youth mobility scheme with the Spanish prime minister, according to reports.
Pedro Sánchez is said to have put the proposal to Starmer in a private meeting at the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace earlier this month.
Starmer did not reject the idea and told Sánchez he would consider it, the Sunday Telegraph reports.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand for a system that would allow young people to live, study or work in the EU for a limited period.
In April, Rishi Sunak rejected an offer from the European Commission that would have granted people aged 18 to 30 free movement for up to four years.
At the time, Labour said it had no plans to introduce such a programme but would “seek to improve the UK’s working relationship with the EU within our red lines”.
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The manifesto that helped Labour win the election earlier this month stated that there would be “no return to freedom of movement”. A bilateral deal with Spain would not in itself break that commitment.
The UK already has a youth mobility scheme with 13 non-EU countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as Japan, Iceland and Uruguay.
Existing schemes differ from freedom of movement in that they typically require applicants to obtain a visa, provide proof of sufficient funds to support themselves and pay a surcharge for health services.
A government spokesperson told the Telegraph: “We have made it clear that we will not rejoin the single market, the customs union or reintroduce freedom of movement, and we are not considering a youth mobility scheme.”
In January, London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for a deal that would allow young people to move freely to and from the EU, saying it would help mitigate the economic and cultural damage caused by Brexit.
He said the current Brexit deal had “caused havoc across London and it is young people who have been hit hardest in many ways”.
