Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Fears over future for Erasmus international student exchange scheme after Brexit

Commons bid to force ministers to negotiate continued access for UK students is defeated by Tories

Andrew Woodcock
Political Editor
Thursday 09 January 2020 12:52 EST
Comments
Graduates who studied abroad have decried parliament's lack of support
Graduates who studied abroad have decried parliament's lack of support (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Former students who benefited from the EU’s Erasmus+ scheme have voiced dismay following the defeat of a parliamentary bid to force the government to keep it open to UK students after Brexit.

Ministers insisted the government was still open to negotiating continued access to the programme, which provides exchange opportunities at universities around Europe, if it was in the UK’s interests.

But college representatives warned that there was now “a definite risk” that British students will lose access after the end of this year, when a “transition period” to Brexit concludes.

An amendment tabled by Liberal Democrats, which would have enshrined in law a duty for ministers to try to keep Britain in the programme, was voted down by Conservative and DUP MPs in the Commons on Wednesday.

Both education minister Gavin Williamson and universities minister Chris Skidmore were among the MPs who defeated the amendment to the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill by 344-254, as Boris Johnson’s newly won majority in the House of Commons swept aside all opposition to his Brexit plans.

Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James was among those taking to social media to denounce the outcome, which she branded “disgraceful”.

Following the vote, Lib Dem education spokesperson Layla Moran told The Independent that it should be a “no-brainer” for the government to commit now to Erasmus+.

“Erasmus has transformed the way we think about education,” said Ms Moran. “It has made studying abroad fashionable and affordable.

“Universities warn that no UK-led scheme could ever match the reputation and extensive partnerships that Erasmus has to offer. But rather than voting for our amendment, Conservative MPs are willing to let ministers negotiate away our membership of Erasmus if they think they could do a better job.

“It is time the Tories wake up and smell the coffee – are they in favour of staying in Erasmus or not? Liberal Democrats will fight to stop the Tories taking us out of vital EU programmes, weakening our universities and limiting the horizons of young people.”

Mr Skidmore dismissed Wednesday’s amendment as “game-playing by opposition parties”, insisting that the UK remains “open” to continued participation in the scheme, subject to negotiations with the remaining EU states.

And the Department for Education said that the government was “committed to continuing the academic relationship between the UK and the EU, including through the next Erasmus+ programme if it is in our interests to do so”.

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran (PA)

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran (PA)

But the international director of the Association of Colleges, Emma Meredith, said: “Erasmus+ is a brilliant programme for opening up the world for young people and helping show people from across Europe that the UK is open to them.

“UK colleges will still be able to apply for Erasmus+ funding in 2020 during the ‘transition period’. There is a definite risk that UK participation could stop in 2021, or that Erasmus+ could be replaced by another mobility programme.”

Ms Meredith said the AoC remained “optimistic” that securing continued access to Erasmus+ would be high on the UK’s priority list for negotiations on the future partnership with the EU, which will begin after the official date of Brexit on 31 January and are due to conclude at the end of this year.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “Wilfully abandoning Erasmus+ would be a worryingly closed-minded move. The many benefits from having the opportunity to study abroad – from boosting employment prospects, to learning other languages and from other cultures – are well documented.”

And the director of the Erasmus+ programme in the UK, Jane Racz, said: “The Erasmus+ programme has delivered and continues to deliver significant benefits to the UK and we need to ensure the positives of the programme are not lost as we move into the next stage”.

Supporters of Erasmus+ expressed their anger on Twitter, where former student Josh Aarons said: “As someone from a working class background who studied and worked in Germany and Spain as part of my degree placement, who greatly benefited both educationally and culturally from Erasmus+, it is a crying shame that we cut off from a mutually beneficial exchange.”

Sheffield Hallam University lecturer Steph Hannam-Swain said: “This is such a loss! We have some amazing Erasmus+ students each year who bring richness to our classes.”

And charity worker Ashley Thompson said: “This is awful. These students have an amazing impact on our organisation and have so much to offer. Failing to continue with Erasmus+ programme will hurt British business now. It denies future generations an amazing opportunity.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in