Bosses of various cafes and restaurants are getting behind the proposals of “barista visas” following Brexit to avoid labour shortages.
The Home secretary, Amber Rudd, is considering introducing the “barista visas” to ensure that coffee shops, restaurants and bars are will remain fully staffed.
The proposal, which is based on the currentpp Youth Mobility Scheme for travellers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, was made by Lord Green, chairman of think tank Migration Watch UK. The visa will allow young people from Europe to work in the UK for up to two years, without claiming benefits.
The British Hospitality Association has warned that some parts of the hospitality sector would struggle without the constant flow of European migrants.
The warning came after the human resources director of Pret a Manger said just one in 50 applicants for jobs at the company were British.
The new managing director of the burger chain Byron has also given his full support to the introduction of “barista visas” in order to avoid labour shortages following Brexit.
“Byron, along with everyone else in our industry, has some fantastic people in it but a lot of those people are from abroad. They play such an important role in our economy, in our business, and to our customers,” said Simon Cope, the new managing director of Byron.
“Byron, along with everyone else in our industry, has some fantastic people in it but a lot of those people are from abroad. They play such an important role in our economy, in our business, and to our customers,” he said.
“I hope that our future Government recognises that and we still have a supply of really good and hardworking people.”
Investors of Whitbread, owners of Costa, did not take the news to potential labour shortages well and shares fell by 8 percent to £39.62.