UK strikes deal with EU to rejoin Erasmus student exchange program

LONDON

Britain is to rejoin the European Union's popular Erasmus student exchange program almost five years after leaving the scheme following Brexit, a joint U.K.-EU statement said on Wednesday.

"The U.K. has successfully agreed terms to join the Erasmus+ program in 2027, widening opportunities for young people from all backgrounds, learners, educational, youth and sport staff to study and train abroad," a U.K. government statement added.

The scheme, which will have to be approved by all EU member countries, will be open to university students, but will also be broadened to include others in further education and on apprenticeships.

The U.K. government said more than 100,000 people in the country could benefit from the scheme in the first year alone.

Following negotiations, the U.K.'s contribution to the costs of the scheme in 2027 would be around £570 million, the statement said.

The announcement comes as part of Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's much-touted "reset" with the 27-country bloc.

Britain exited the Erasmus scheme, in which it had participated since 1987, when it left the EU at the beginning of 2021.

EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds hailed the deal as a "huge win for our young people" that would offer opportunities to those from all backgrounds to "study and train abroad".

"This is about more than just travel: it's about future skills, academic success, and giving the next generation access to the best possible opportunities," he added.

And EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the deal was a "big step forward" for U.K. ties.

After the U.K. left Erasmus, former prime minister Boris Johnson launched the Turing scheme as a domestic alternative, arguing that remaining in the EU scheme would have meant a net cost of £2 billion ($2.6 billion) over seven years.

The move caused consternation among students and higher education bodies.

Work towards rejoining was announced as part of Starmer's post-Brexit reset deal agreed with Brussels at a London summit in May.

The breakthrough has been welcomed by U.K. universities and Britain's third-largest political party, the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, which called it "a crucial first step" towards a closer relationship with the EU.

It urged the government to commit to a wider "youth mobility scheme for benefit of the next generation".

The EU is keen on creating a youth mobility scheme that would allow British and European 18- to 30-year-olds to study and work in the U.K. and vice versa.

Since 1987, nine million people have participated in the Erasmus scheme which also contributed to creating a generation of pro-European Britons.

Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of leading U.K. universities, said they were "delighted" at the announcement.

"With an even greater scope than previous programs, Erasmus+ opens up fantastic opportunities for students, adult learners and young people to all benefit from new experiences and learning," he said.

"It will also renew the huge contributions that EU students and staff make to life on our university campuses," he added.