The Case for Freedom of Movement

What we had — and what we lost

Freedom of movement was not a privilege granted to some British citizens. It was a universal right — enjoyed by every UK passport holder — to live, work, study, retire, or simply spend time anywhere in the 30 countries of the European Economic Area.

That right ended on 1 January 2021.

Since then:

British citizens wanting to move to an EU country must navigate points-based immigration systems, language requirements, and proof of sufficient funds
British retirees in EU countries face residency uncertainty and reduced healthcare entitlements
British students can no longer participate in Erasmus, which connected 200,000 UK students with European universities annually
British workers who moved to EU countries before 2021 have protected rights, but face bureaucratic hurdles their EU counterparts do not
Around 400,000 UK nationals living in EU countries now navigate a patchwork of post-Brexit residency schemes with varying security

The human cost

The loss of freedom of movement is not an abstraction. It affects real families:

Workers: A UK software engineer can no longer take a job offer in Amsterdam next month. They must apply for a Dutch work permit, which takes months and has no certainty of success.

Retirees: A British couple who planned to retire to the Algarve now faces a visa application process, income requirements, and — crucially — uncertainty about whether healthcare costs will be covered by the NHS if they return to the UK.

Couples: Mixed nationality couples — British with EU partner — face immigration bureaucracy that simply did not exist before 2021.

Young people: An 18-year-old British student in 2026 has fewer rights to study in Europe than their parents had at the same age.

The UK’s own workforce crisis

Freedom of movement was not one-directional. It brought skilled workers to the UK who fill critical roles:

NHS and social care: Approximately 130,000 EU nationals worked in health and social care in 2019. Since 2021, acute staff shortages have worsened, with direct links to reduced EU migration.
Seasonal agriculture: British farms relied on 70,000+ seasonal EU workers per year. New visa schemes have not adequately replaced this.
Hospitality and retail: The post-2021 staffing crisis in these sectors is partly structural, partly a legacy of EU worker departures.
Academia: UK universities lost their automatic participation in EU research programmes (Horizon Europe) and their attractiveness to EU researchers fell.

The Switzerland Plus solution

A Switzerland Plus deal would restore mutual free movement between the UK and EU. Switzerland’s agreement with the EU means Swiss and EU citizens can live and work freely in each other’s territories. An enhanced UK deal could extend this to the 450 million EU citizens — creating a mobility area more than six times the size of the UK alone.

This is not giving something up. It is restoring something that was taken away — and extending it to the 450 million EU citizens who would also gain the right to move to the UK, bringing skills, investment, and talent with them.

The numbers support it

55% of British voters now back some form of closer EU relationship that includes free movement (BritPolls, October 2026)
71% of 18–34 year olds support restoring freedom of movement rights (YouGov, 2025)
64% of UK employers report difficulty recruiting workers since 2021 (British Chambers of Commerce, 2025)

The question is not whether the UK can afford to restore free movement. It is whether it can afford not to.