United Kingdom seeks to rejoin Erasmus+

The United Kingdom will participate in the European exchange programme Erasmus+ again. This was agreed upon by the EU and the UK on Monday. Negotiations are still needed to iron out the details.

Four years ago, the United Kingdom unexpectedly withdrew from Erasmus+. This made it more challenging for Dutch students to study in England for a period of time. However, now that there is a new government in London, the British and Europeans are seeking to reconcile. The geopolitical situations involving Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have also played a role.

With new agreements on defence, trade, and fishing, Monday saw a slight easing of the ‘British exit’ from the EU. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, also announced that the United Kingdom will rejoin Erasmus+. However, she and British prime minister Keir Starmer couldn’t yet specify how the latter would be arranged and financed.

In love

During a press conference, von der Leyen referred to her own experience as a German student at the London School of Economics in the 1970s. Such an exchange makes you fall in love with a country and shapes you for life, she stated.

Reintegrating the British into Erasmus+ has always been an important goal for the EU. The British public is divided on this issue. The leader of the Conservatives is critical of Starmer’s deal, fearing it may lead to ‘unlimited migration’. Control over migration was one of the reasons the British decided to leave the EU.

When the United Kingdom was still part of Erasmus+, it was a net recipient of European students. On average, twice as many ‘continental’ students came to the UK as British students went abroad.