Pages tagged "Erasmus"
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European Movement UK Welcomes Possibility of Negotiations on Youth Mobility
European Movement UK welcomes today's report in The Times that suggests the Government is looking to negotiate a reciprocal agreement with the EU, one that could see UK citizens 18-30 being allowed to live and work in an EU country for a set time period, with a reciprocal arrangement for EU citizens to do the same here.
We know the EU is keen to open up discussions with the UK about an agreement on youth mobility.
This could bring massive benefits for young people, and for the cultural and personal connections between our country and other parts of Europe.
It's also really popular, with polling showing that even Leave voters are 68% in favour of such a scheme.
But are our government willing to listen? It's unclear. The Times reported a government source saying it could be on the table in negotiations with the EU. But The Guardian has another government spokesperson denying any plans to open discussions.
The European Movement supports greater freedom to travel, collaborate, live and work between our country and the EU - for everyone. But tackling barriers that Brexit put on young people's future is the right place to start. That's why we're also campaigning to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme, and regain access to opportunities for training, study, sport, and more.
(Image: Shutterstock)
Cecilia Jastrzembska, President of Young European Movement, said:
"The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has had a devastating impact on opportunities for young people, particularly our withdrawal from the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme. YEM UK looks forward to the government meaningfully strengthening relations with our European neighbours."
Dr Mike Galsworthy, Chair of European Movement UK, said:
“A mutual youth mobility scheme is such an obvious good for all concerned that a YouGov poll in April found even Leave voters were 53% in favour vs 27% against. The public support for such youth opportunities is absolutely overwhelming and I am baffled as to why the government seem so heavy-hearted and timorous about such a win-win. We’re a European country - it’s exciting - let’s embrace it.”
Mark English, European Movement UK's Policy Expert, said:
"It is time for a grown-up discussion, so it's good news that the government is reconsidering its earlier inexplicable hostility to a youth mobility scheme with the EU. After all, the UK has youth mobility schemes with 13 other countries - including Australia and Japan - so it makes sense to have one with our nearest neighbours and closest partners.
"No-one expects the government simply to accept the detail of a proposal not yet even endorsed by EU member states. But dismissing the idea of reciprocal youth mobility simply means letting down British young people who face all sorts of economic difficulties and have seen their horizons curtailed by Brexit. Young people want and deserve the chance to study or work in Europe. The government owes it to them to make sure they get that chance."
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YEM's Erasmus+ Academy is just the start
When we left the EU, the UK also left the Erasmus+ Programme, robbing future generations of young people in the UK of the chance to experience education, training and sport opportunities across Europe.
According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which has published the data for the first full post-Brexit year, the number of EU students enrolling in British universities has more than halved since Brexit – with sharp declines in scholars from Italy, Germany and France, figures reveal.
Brexit is seen as the primary deterrent, with home fees and student finance no longer available to EU students who do not already live in the UK with settled or pre-settled status.
With this in mind, on Thursday 9th February 2023, the Young European Movement (YEM) UK welcomed participants from across the UK to London for its 2023 Erasmus+ Academy, a political bootcamp designed to connect like-minded young pro-Europeans, provide them with a toolkit of skills for how to run an effective political campaign on re-joining the Erasmus+ programme.
This two-day programme of events kick-started with a Networking Reception in Europe House on the Future of UK-EU Relations in Education, where over sixty attendees heard unique insight from several senior commentators on how the relationship can be strengthened.
The German Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Miguel Berger, laid down a marker at the offset by sharing his disappointment over the UK’s decision to terminate its Erasmus+ membership, adding that it was his government’s desire for this decision to be reversed.
Following on from Ambassador Berger’s assessment, Labour MP for Preston, Sir Mark Hendrick, took to the stage and gave a devasting analysis of the Government’s track record on Brexit and the damage that it has done to the economy. He shared Labour’s vision of a closer relationship with Europe on key issues, including agreements on security and defence, Horizon+ membership as well as leaving the door open on Erasmus+.
We then heard from another former MEP and Liberal Democrat Peer, Baroness Sarah Ludford, who brought down the house with a witty and frank critique of how this government has dealt with the fallout from leaving the EU. In looking to shape a future where London and Brussels could engage in a meaningful and advantageous manner, she cited the dangers associated with the Retained EU Law Bill and spoke of her work as the Europe Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats.
For those of you unable to attend the reception you can watch a selection of the speeches here.
On Friday, YEM members then took to Bush House at King’s College London for an action-packed day of political training and insight, beginning with a presentation and workshop from European Movement’s campaign and communications team on their Retained EU Law Bill campaign. This workshop provided YEM members with insider knowledge on what constructing an effective campaign looks like.
Following on from this, YEM members received an eye-opening presentation from globally renowned pollsters, Opinium, who shared with us public attitudes around Brexit: past, present and future. After lunch, we then heard from an aspiring young journalist, Eleanor Longman-Rood, from The New European on the current landscape of the UK media and how to get your message across.
We finished our afternoon’s training and capacity building with two in-house workshops, the first of which concentrated on public affairs and stakeholder mapping, and the second of which concentrated on our work campaigning to rejoin the Erasmus+ Programme.
The entire YEM team is thrilled with the success of the Erasmus+ Academy and is confident that it places us on a strong footing to advance our campaign and strengthen our network of young pro-Europeans through the United Kingdom.
Rejoining Erasmus+ could be a key step towards rebuilding bridges with Europe and this event proved that, together, we can restore the opportunities once afforded to young people in the UK pre-Brexit.
Art O’Mahony
Young European Movement Coordinator
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Erasmus+ is special – we must not let go
By Anna Grainger, a primary school teacher and European Movement supporter in Warwickshire.
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