This follows reports that the Government is planning to end freedom of movement from 1 November. The EU allows the free of movement of people within the 28 member countries.
Kate Nicholls, UKHospitality chief executive, said: “The Government has taken great steps to safeguard the rights of those EU citizens in the UK ahead of Brexit. Although the majority of staff in the sector are home-grown, businesses do need to look to overseas talent to augment their teams.
“We now need more certainty for those that come to the country from 1st November until a new immigration policy is in place. A situation akin to the implementation period would be welcomed by business. We would urge Government to share their proposals on the status of EU citizens after Brexit and reiterate their guarantees to current EU citizens.”
It is estimated that there are currently 3.2 million EU nationals who live in the UK.
UKHospitality is the ‘authoritative voice’ for over 700 companies, operating around 65,000 venues in a sector that employs 3.2 million people.