CONNECTS-UK Statement On The Discussions Within The UK Parliament About A Potential EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme Agreement

London, United Kingdom, March 25, 2025

We welcome the recent discussions about creating an EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme Agreement and urge the UK government to make this a priority.This scheme would provide young students and researchers diverse opportunities across the EU and the UK, potentially acting as a key instrument in strengthening EU-UK academic and research collaboration, therefore ensuring the UK remains a global leader in education and innovation. 

The possibility of an EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme Agreement was recently raised after the House of Commons released a research briefing on the “Potential merits of a Youth Mobility Scheme between the EU and the UK”¹.Despite the strong support for the development of this proposal from some members of the UK Parliament or organisations such as European Movement UK, on February 24th, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that such a scheme was not part of the government’s plans, emphasising the priority of the new Labour government in reducing net migration.

From CONNECTS-UK, we believe that an EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme Agreement represents remarkable potential for young people in the EU and the UK, offering the opportunity to study, work, and travel across both regions. In July 2024, after the UK general election, CONNECTS-UK advocated for the new Labour government to prioritise addressing the gaps in their approach to EU-UK cooperation in higher education, scientific research, and academic collaboration². We believe that ensuring youth mobility, and its implications for academic and student mobility, is one of these gaps. 

Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) shows that the number of students coming from the EU that are newly enrolled in the UK’s higher education institutions has dropped by almost 55% since post-Brexit rules took effect³. This does not only represent a loss for EU students, but it might also be hindering scientific advances and innovation in both regions. Given the UK’s long-standing ties with the EU and the fact that these regions host some of the world’s most prestigious academic and research institutions, establishing an EU-UK Youth Mobility agreement would not only offer young students and researchers access to diverse research ecosystems and cultural exchanges, but would also strengthen cross-border scientific and academic collaboration. For these reasons, and considering the UK’s existing youth mobility agreements with 12 other countries, this should be a priority for the UK government. A strong framework for mobility is essential for maintaining a competitive edge in research and innovation, especially as the UK seeks to expand its global leadership post-Brexit.

As the leading platform for EU researchers in the UK, we strongly advocate for the UK government to actively consider the discussions on this matter. The EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme Agreement should be as ambitious as possibleand supported by complementary measures addressing broader mobility challenges. We highlight the following key areas:

Student mobility programmes

• We recommend that the UK government consider the benefits of a specific EU-UK student mobility programme – rejoining Erasmus+ or seeking to create a new bilateral framework could complement the current Turing Scheme and largely facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate student exchanges between the EU and the UK.
• This potential EU-UK student mobility programme would benefit both EU nationals and UK nationals, ultimately providing value across regions.

Tuition fees for EU students

• The international tuition fees that EU students have to pay after Brexit are actively repelling them from coming to the UK to study. This financial burden is further compounded by the coverage of additional costs related to the immigration system.
• High tuition fees risk driving top international students elsewhere, weakening the UK’s research networks. 
• Particularly, EU students have long contributed to the UK’s academic excellence, enriching the academic and research environments.
• We urge that the UK government ensure a sustainable model of university funding that preserves the contributions of EU talent by providing accessible opportunities for EU students. 

Affordable visa costs and removal of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

• The increase in visa costs and the 66% rise in the Immigration Health Surcharge in 2024 up to 1035 GBP per year have made studying and working in the UK very expensive⁴.
• We recommend reducing visa costs and removing the IHS for young people under mobility schemes.

Expanding age eligibility

• To maximise accessibility, we recommend extending the age eligibility range for this scheme to 18-35 years old, aligning it with existing agreements for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Korea. 

International student mobility benefits countries because of the cultural exchange but also the economic contribution that students make in terms of employment and spending. In the current geo-political environment, it has been established that the United Kingdom and the EU have shared values in terms of knowledge transfer, freedom of speech and safety of intellectual property. In order to safeguard international student mobility for future generations, it is important that the UK and EU governments establish agreements now. From CONNECTS-UK, we advocate for the establishment of an EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme Agreement that allows young people in the EU and the UK, offering the opportunity to study, work, and travel across both regions. 

Authors: 

• Virginia A. Amigo Dotras – CONNECTS-UK
• Igor Arrieta – Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK/CERU)
• Nathalie van Meurs – Dutch Academic Network in the UK (DANinUK)
• Catarina M. Liberato – Portuguese Association of Research and Students in the UK (PARSUK)

Contributors: 

• Elisa Clemente – Portuguese Association of Research and Students in the UK (PARSUK)

References: 

1.  McKinney, C., Oxley, G., & Fella, S. (2025, March 7). Potential merits of a Youth Mobility Scheme between the EU and the UK. House of Commons Library. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0018/ 
2.  The 2024 Elections: Labour’s New Approach to EU-UK Relations and the Imperative for Scientific and Research Priorities. (2024, July 31). CONNECTS-UK. https://connects-uk.org/2024/07/31/the-2024-elections-labours-new-approach-to-eu-uk-relations-and-the-imperative-for-scientific-and-research-priorities/ 
3.  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). (2024, September 12). Where do HE students come from? | HESA. Hesa.ac.uk. https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-from 
4.  McKinney, C., & Gower, M. (2025, March 10). The immigration health surcharge. House of Commons Library. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7274/