There have been suggestions that the Home Office, tasked with delivering government plans to lower overall migration, is pushing for any eventual agreement to be more limited than that suggested by the European Commission. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is reportedly arguing for visas to be limited to one year so that EU citizens taking part do not show up in official immigration figures, with applications also subject to an overall cap. Asked about the reports, Mr Berger declined to comment, saying that "we have to leave that to the negotiations".

The EU has been keen to stress that a visa deal would not replicate the bloc's rules on freedom of movement, under which EU citizens were automatically entitled to live and work in the UK without applying for a visa. Documents circulated between EU states also suggest a deal could be rebranded as a "youth experience" scheme, in an apparent bid to downplay any link to migration. But any deal that is negotiated is likely to lead to a political row, with the Conservatives and Reform UK critical of a proposed agreement.

During a local election campaign visit earlier, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said a deal risked "another avenue which people might use to game the system," adding that Labour "doesn't know how to negotiate". She added: "Where are all these people they want to bring in going to work?" Reform leader Nigel Farage said a deal could lead to a "huge number of people" coming to the UK, adding it would be "completely against what the Brexit vote demanded".

An agreement has however been strongly supported by the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, which have long been calling on the Labour government to reach an agreement with the EU. In his comments on Thursday, Mr Berger insisted a deal would have "nothing to do with migration" as those taking part in the scheme would "go home" once their visa has ended.