A conglomerate of Danish businesses is attempting to lure disaffected Europeans to Copenhagen, as Theresa May heads to Brussels in a bid to rescue stalling EU divorce talks.
The Danish Industry Association has promised skilled EU workers a warm welcome and good salaries at some of the countries most famous companies including Lego, Carlsberg and Bang & Olufsen.
And business leaders are hoping the ongoing confusion over EU citizens rights in the UK post Brexit will persuade thousands of talented Europeans to ditch Britain for Copenhagen.
Steen Nielsen, chief of labor policy at the Danish Industry Association, told Bloomberg: “We can use a lot of the EU citizens currently working in the UK.
“It’s pretty unclear what’s going to happen – the Brits don’t yet know what rules they’ll apply to EU workers”.
Britain is currently home to around 3.6 million EU nationals, but the UK government’s refusal to clarify foreign citizens’ rights after withdrawing from the European Union has led to warnings of a mass exodus.
Meanwhile, in Europe, businesses are desperate to recruit new talent in the face of a growing labour shortage which is threatening economic growth.
Mr Nielsen said Denmark was effectively battling with the likes of Sweden over the UK’s European talent pool.
He said: “There’s a tussle going on between countries to attract the right workers.
“We need every type of skilled worker, from electricians and electromechanics to skilled workers in electronics or metal engineering.”
Prime Minister Theresa May has attempted to calm anxieties over EU citizens rights by insisting the Government wants the country’s EU workforce to stay after Brexit.
But with Brexit negotiations still deadlocked, the promise of jobs, security and freedom of movement might prove to good to resist for thousands of Europeans currently living here.
Carl-Johan Dalgaard, co chairman of the Economic Council, said: “It’s obvious that any labor exodus from the UK to the euro area – and that’s not at all unlikely – will offer potential opportunities for Danish companies.”