Starmer's surrender on youth travel: PM's new EU deal 'could throw borders open' in scheme that is effectively 'unlimited'
Sources close to talks on the scheme said British negotiators will try to cap EU arrivals allowed to work in Britain at between 70,000 and 80,000, and no higher than 100,000.
But a sliding-scale could be introduced that would effectively allow unlimited arrivals if enough Britons head for the Continent.
One source explained: 'If you suddenly find 500,000 Britons go to Europe, then Britain could open it up to a much larger number of Europeans, so you keep it neutral on immigration figures.'
Another said it could 'essentially be unlimited' if there was enough demand from UK travellers.
British negotiators will seek a cap based on the number of Britons ministers think will use the scheme, while the sliding scale would satisfy EU negotiators, who are expected to push for hundreds of thousands of Europeans to be able to enter Britain.
But this would be politically toxic for a Labour government that has pledged to cut immigration if at least as many Britons do not go in the opposite direction.
Brussels is also pushing for Europeans to be allowed to bring their families and claim benefits in the UK as part of the scheme.
It is one of the most contentious areas yet to be fully negotiated for the Prime Minister's controversial 'reset' deal with the bloc, which was unveiled on Monday.
Sir Keir has said that the numbers involved would be capped and insisted that their stay in the UK would be 'time limited' and reliant on obtaining a visa.
But he has refused to say how many could come or how long they could stay for. No10 insists letting arrivals bring dependants and claim benefits is a 'red line', but Brussels is expected to drive a hard bargain because most EU nations want this concession.
Fears of a cave-in will only be heightened by the fact that ministers spent months insisting they had 'no plans' for a youth mobility scheme, which was a key EU demand from the outset.
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