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British backpackers could be forced to work in rural Australia as Albanese eyes rewriting the post-Brexit trade deal

Anthony Albanese, who told Australia's parliament he will push to renegotiate the UK backpacker visa deal, having previously declared in August he was "certainly honouring" it.
Anthony Albanese, who told Australia's parliament he will push to renegotiate the UK backpacker visa deal, having previously declared in August he was "certainly honouring" it.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told parliament he is open to renegotiating the UK-Australia post-Brexit free trade agreement to require British backpackers to work in regional areas, after admitting the current deal has funnelled them into hospitality jobs in Sydney and Melbourne while rural towns go short-staffed. Albanese confirmed he has already raised the issue directly with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The number of working holiday visas granted to British backpackers has surged 108 per cent to 79,412 since the deal took effect.

Unlike backpackers from other countries, Britons can currently stay three years with NO regional work requirement.

A Queensland Labor MP has branded the government's wider visa cuts an 'absolute disaster' for regional economies.

For every young Australian heading to the UK, as many as ten Britons are arriving Down Under — a ONE-SIDED flow Albanese wants to rebalance.

MoreThe IndependentBritish backpackers could be forced to work in rural Australia to get visasThe IndependentThe new visa change that could hit British backpackersThe TimesBritish backpackers ‘should work in the outback’ to get Australia visas - The Timesthewest.com.auCook taking WA’s backpacker visa qualms to CanberraDaily Mail AUBritish backpackers face shake-up over regional work exemption
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