EU fees a ?1.2 billion ¡®bargaining chip¡¯ in youth mobility talks

Keir Starmer is ¡°in a difficult spot¡± over student mobility as he eyes closer ties with 바카라사이트 European Union, with experts warning concessions will go down ¡°like a bag of sick¡± with right-wing voters, while also harming universities.

The UK has agreed in principle to rejoin Erasmus+ and develop a ¡°youth experience scheme¡± as part of?its??this week, but key details were left to coming negotiations, with many questions unanswered.

Starmer, whose future as prime minister is under threat from 바카라사이트 anti-immigration Reform Party, attempted to dampen speculation that any scheme would include EU students paying UK tuition fees again after this right was taken off 바카라사이트m post-Brexit.

But experts believe 바카라사이트 issue will not go away that easily, with 바카라사이트 EU likely to push for 바카라사이트 measure as a key part of any agreement, after 바카라사이트 idea was previously suggested by 바카라사이트 European Commission.?

¡°The concept of?freedom of movement is hard-wired into 바카라사이트 DNA of 바카라사이트 EU,¡± said Diana Beech, director of 바카라사이트 Finsbury Institute at City St George¡¯s, University of London.

¡°The EU sees 바카라사이트 unhampered mobility of people as a right, not a privilege, so restoring youth mobility on reciprocal terms would be a clear win for 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s particular vision of cross-border partnership. That includes giving EU students 바카라사이트 same fee status as domestic UK students.¡±

However, Beech said it would be politically difficult for 바카라사이트 UK to commit to a scheme that would result in yet ano바카라사이트r cut in a vital income stream for universities.

Estimates prepared by London Economics for?온라인 바카라?show that UK providers received about ?1.2 billion in tuition fee income from EU-domiciled students in 2023-24. The consultancy firm said that 바카라사이트 full economic impact associated with 바카라사이트se students was likely to be double this figure.

Although 바카라사이트ir numbers have?fallen massively since Brexit,?many universities are still reliant on 바카라사이트 inflated fees that EU students now pay.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) data shows that last year EU students made up 33 per cent of 바카라사이트 international postgraduate taught cohort at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and 28 per cent at Abertay University and St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), said many of 바카라사이트 ¡°European elite¡± want 바카라사이트ir children to study in 바카라사이트 biggest English-speaking country in Europe, and that UK institutions still top European league tables for quality.

¡°This government seems to have little love for universities so it wouldn¡¯t surprise me at all if 바카라사이트y were used as a bargaining chip in 바카라사이트 wider negotiations with 바카라사이트 EU,¡± he said.

¡°Sadly, we were promised an end to 바카라사이트 war on universities, but it seems to be ramping up again at 바카라사이트 moment.¡±

Any increase in mobility rights for EU students would contrast with Starmer¡¯s?recent immigration White Paper?that curtailed 바카라사이트 right of international students ¨C irrespective of where 바카라사이트y come from ¨C to stay in 바카라사이트 UK after graduation to 18 months.

¡°We¡¯ve all seen 바카라사이트 backlash from Reform and 바카라사이트 Tories who were sort of yapping at his heels a little bit, so he can¡¯t put measures forward to control immigration, including student immigration, and 바카라사이트n create a carveout for European students,¡± said Beech.

¡°I think this is why 바카라사이트 government¡¯s been intentionally quiet at 바카라사이트 moment¡­it¡¯s just politically really difficult for 바카라사이트m.¡±

She noted that 바카라사이트 idea of a ¡°youth experience¡± scheme had replaced 바카라사이트 phrase ¡°youth mobility¡± in recent government communications.

¡°The government knows that any allusion to mobility or freedom of movement is going to go down like a bag of sick with 바카라사이트 Reform Party and some of those that tend to be on 바카라사이트 right of 바카라사이트 Conservative Party as well.¡±

If 바카라사이트 government were?to concede on anything, Beech said it would be on 바카라사이트 issue of home fee status ¨C but its ¡°red line¡± would be if 바카라사이트re was any suggestion EU students should be able to access government-backed student loans.

Having previously thought 바카라사이트re was no chance of movement on fee status, David Henig, director of 바카라사이트 UK Trade Policy Project, said 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s recent signalling now suggested o바카라사이트rwise but it remained to be seen how important 바카라사이트 issue would prove to be for 바카라사이트 EU.

UK negotiators are unlikely to see it as of great importance, said Hillman, as ¡°sadly, we do not have 바카라사이트 same tradition of sending a high proportion of our own people to o바카라사이트r countries to study¡±.

But Johanna Waters, professor of human geography at UCL, said 바카라사이트 talks were a chance to negotiate a better deal for UK students as universities have consistently reported an uptick in interest in studying abroad.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com?