Assurances for EU workers in the event of no-deal Brexit welcomed

The hospitality industry has welcomed assurances that EU workers will have a right to stay in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Cabinet papers seen by The Telegraph newspaper have revealed that EU migrants will have a right to remain, with ministers stressing the importance of "the availability of existing labour" if Britain were to crash out of the EU without a deal.

The papers warn that if no deal is secured by 29 March 2019 policies must avoid staff shortages in sectors including health, construction and tourism.

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls (pictured) said: "The prime minister's statement gives businesses much-needed clarity on the future of its workforce as we leave the EU, with or without a deal. It rightly acknowledges the contribution made by EU nationals to UK businesses. In hospitality, EU workers help to ease acute skills and labour gaps, while the industry works to encourage more British people to choose careers in our sector.

"Allowing existing EU citizens the right to stay goes some way to support the needs of our business and will allow the sector to continue to grow, invest and benefit the UK economy."

Number of EU workers entering the UK falls by 95% hitting businesses>>

UKHospitality supports calls to scrap immigration targets post-Brexit>>

Get The Caterer every week on your smartphone, tablet, or even in good old-fashioned hard copy (or all three!).