The impact of no-deal Brexit on Erasmus programmes
After the Brexit referendum held on Thursday 23 June 2016, 51.9% of UK citizens decided Britain should leave the European Union. From this date, the UK had over two years to agree on the terms, with the split from the EU scheduled for the 29th March 2019.
Too many questions have arisen after the Brexit referendum and we would like to outline what’s going to happen to Erasmus Plus and European Solidarity Corps programmes if there will be a no deal Brexit.
Recently, the government issued a technical notice outlining a guide for organisations and individuals who applied for Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes after 2019.
Individuals who are currently in other European countries for Erasmus — for either volunteering or work projects — will continue receiving Government funding for the whole duration of their experience.
On the contrary, students who would like to apply for an Erasmus plus or European Solidarity Corps programme this year should be aware that in case the UK leaves the EU without coming to an agreement, the government will not be committed to providing any funding for them.
This situation will bring several issues as, during the last year, thousands of British students decided to move abroad for work or study, and this year, this number will not decrease.
Furthermore, learners from disadvantaged social backgrounds will suffer from a lack of government funding as they will not be able to easily find alternative forms of funding to support their living and travel costs in other European countries.
Therefore, many British students could miss the opportunity to have an experience abroad or to have a year placement in several European universities selected by the Erasmus Plus scheme.
Thus, it is fundamental that the UK government reconsiders what it has issued in its latest notice and fund UK students in Erasmus projects during the 2019/2020 academic year, especially if a no-deal Brexit were to occur. This choice would benefit the whole UK as a country, as students who decide to go abroad to study or work have the possibility to increase their global networks and skills, fundamental in securing their jobs in a global trading nation.
What will happen if the UK is not able to participate in Erasmus Plus and European Solidarity Corps programmes?
In case the UK is not able to participate in these programmes anymore, UK organisations will try to create bilateral arrangements with partner companies which would permit them to continue with their programmes. In this case, the UK government will be able to fund projects that were approved by the National Agency and ratified by the European Commission before the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
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Originally published at www.kortext.com by Roberta Nicora
