Ten years to the day after the 2016 referendum, a fresh survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) suggests that mainstream British opinion has swung decisively towards rebuilding mobility links with the continent. According to the poll, published by Le Monde on 22 June, fully two-thirds of respondents would now accept the return of free movement for workers, tourists and students between the UK and the EU. Brexit fatigue, persistent labour shortages and the administrative costs of the post-Brexit visa regime appear to be driving the change. The survey finds that 66 % of voters blame Brexit for a higher cost of living, while 56 % say tighter border controls have failed to curb irregular migration. Business groups echo the sentiment: hospitality and seasonal agriculture report vacancy rates above 15 %, forcing employers to pay steep sponsorship fees for Skilled Worker visas or forgo expansion plans.
![New Poll Shows Majority of Britons Ready to Restore EU Freedom-of-Movement]()
Amid this growing demand for smoother travel and work pathways, VisaHQ can help individuals, students and companies navigate the shifting visa landscape. Its dedicated UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time guidance on everything from Schengen tourist visas to Skilled Worker sponsorships, providing document checklists, processing timelines and expert support that reduce administrative cost and complexity.
Restoring mobility would require renegotiating the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and, crucially, agreeing reciprocal rights with all 27 EU Member States. Although no UK political party is yet proposing full EU membership, analysts note that a bespoke youth-mobility scheme, mutual recognition of professional qualifications and expanded short-stay business visas could be stepping-stones. European leaders, for their part, are signalling openness; the European Parliament last month backed a resolution calling for “pragmatic visa facilitation with the UK in sectors of mutual interest”. For multinational employers, the poll is an early indicator that whichever government emerges from Westminster’s current turmoil (see article 2) will face mounting pressure to soften the UK’s current points-based immigration system. Companies should therefore monitor Home Office consultations scheduled for the autumn and review their global mobility budgets: sponsorship costs, Immigration Health Surcharge liabilities and right-to-work processes could all change if a mobility détente gains political traction.
Amid this growing demand for smoother travel and work pathways, VisaHQ can help individuals, students and companies navigate the shifting visa landscape. Its dedicated UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time guidance on everything from Schengen tourist visas to Skilled Worker sponsorships, providing document checklists, processing timelines and expert support that reduce administrative cost and complexity.
Restoring mobility would require renegotiating the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and, crucially, agreeing reciprocal rights with all 27 EU Member States. Although no UK political party is yet proposing full EU membership, analysts note that a bespoke youth-mobility scheme, mutual recognition of professional qualifications and expanded short-stay business visas could be stepping-stones. European leaders, for their part, are signalling openness; the European Parliament last month backed a resolution calling for “pragmatic visa facilitation with the UK in sectors of mutual interest”. For multinational employers, the poll is an early indicator that whichever government emerges from Westminster’s current turmoil (see article 2) will face mounting pressure to soften the UK’s current points-based immigration system. Companies should therefore monitor Home Office consultations scheduled for the autumn and review their global mobility budgets: sponsorship costs, Immigration Health Surcharge liabilities and right-to-work processes could all change if a mobility détente gains political traction.
