British Universities Urge Starmer Government to Restore Erasmus Program

The British universities are calling on Kir Starmer’s government to find a way to restart the flow of students from the European Union to Britain which was curtailed after Brexit.

Among other things, they are discussing the country’s possible return to the Erasmus student exchange program, Guardian reports.

Ahead of Starmer’s meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, British universities say they are determined not to provoke a return to the “toxic” Brexit immigration row and are adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

“We really regret the fact that we have lost an influx of really good European students to the UK,” said Universities UK chief executive Vivien Stern. However, she said she recognized that the debate at home over immigration could become toxic.

Meanwhile, speaking in New York on Friday, Starmer appeared to have softened his negative stance on the idea of a mobility scheme for young people under 30 to study or work abroad for a limited number of years.

However, the British newspaper continues, little discussion has been had about Erasmus, through which, before Brexit, some 15,000 British students each year studied at an EU university.

Britain tried to remain an associate member of Erasmus, but the financial burden fell disproportionately on the UK and universities would have to bear the cost of more incoming students.

EU 2020 figures show that in 2018-2019 a total of 17,795 students came to the UK, almost double the number of British students (9,908) who went to the EU.

As for his meeting with von der Leyen, the two sides are aiming for a broader “reset” of relations between the EU and Britain. They will work together on a range of issues with the ultimate goal of a summit in spring 2025.

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