The UK is edging closer to a new agreement with the European Union that could reopen doors for young people to live, work and study abroad—a significant shift after years of restricted mobility following Brexit. The proposed youth mobility scheme, expected to be discussed at the May 2025 UK–EU summit, would allow 18- to 30-year-olds from the UK and EU to move across the Channel on time-limited visas. While full freedom of movement is off the table, both sides appear motivated by economic needs, political pressure, and a growing recognition of the mobility vacuum left by the UK’s departure from the EU.
Before Brexit, youth mobility between the UK and EU was fluid. The Erasmus+ scheme, which sent about 18,300 British students annually to study in Europe, was one of the most visible symbols of cooperation. In return, more than 30,000 EU students arrived in the UK each year, many taking advantage of domestic tuition fees and easy residency rights.
But this balance has collapsed. The UK withdrew from Erasmus and introduced full international fees and visa requirements for EU nationals. Data from UK higher education admissions shows that new EU student entrants fell from over 130,000 in 2020 to just over 51,000 in 2024.
This drop is sharply contrasted by the steady rise in non-EU student numbers, which have grown from around 250,000 in 2018 to more than 430,000 in 2024. As shown in the first chart, the two lines now move in opposite directions—EU enrolment falling while non-EU enrolment surges. This collapse is not confined to education.
Broader migration trends reveal a similar divergence. Net migration from EU countries to the UK, once solidly positive, has turned negative since Brexit. In 2022, the UK recorded a net loss of 51,000 EU citizens.
That number only slightly recovered in 2023, with an estimated net loss of 48,000. By contrast, net migration from non-EU countries has exploded, with 2023 figures reaching over 610,000. The second chart starkly illustrates this trend: while EU migration numbers have plunged below zero, non-EU migration continues its upward trajectory.
The introduction of the points-based immigration system, which no longer offers preferential treatment to EU citizens, is a key factor behind this reversal. Young people have borne much of the fallout. EU nationals under 30 no longer qualify for working holidays or easy job-hunting trips.
British graduates face similar hurdles when seeking opportunities in Europe. The EU’s 2024 proposal—to allow youth stays of up to four years with reciprocal rights—was rejected by the previous Conservative government. The current Labour government, however, has shown more openness to a capped, time-limited visa arrangement that clearly distinguishes itself from free movement.
While politically cautious, ministers now acknowledge that a youth scheme could ease labour shortages and boost cultural ties. Industries that traditionally depend on young mobile workers—like hospitality, agriculture and the arts—have felt the impact acutely. Before 2020, EU nationals made up an estimated 45% of the UK’s tourism workforce.
With those numbers dwindling, businesses are reporting chronic staff shortages. Seasonal roles in particular—short-term, low-commitment jobs often filled by students or early-career workers—have become harder to fill domestically. Expanding youth mobility with the EU would offer one targeted solution, easing pressure without overhauling the entire immigration framework.
Education stakeholders have also been vocal about the losses. British universities not only lost EU students—and the accompanying research funding, which was worth around £772 million in 2022/23— but also the mutual exchange that enriched classrooms and campuses. Meanwhile, the Turing Scheme, which replaced Erasmus, sends students globally, but lacks the cultural reciprocity and structure of its EU predecessor.
In 2023/24, the Turing Scheme funded 40,000 outbound placements, but participation from working-class and minority students remains lower than expected. A restored EU-focused option could improve equity and access for British youth. There’s also a political imperative to act.
In early 2024, over 60 MPs from various parties signed a letter calling for a bespoke youth visa deal, noting that young people “are the generation that have lost the most from Brexit.” Public opinion is also shifting. A 2024 YouGov poll found that 64% of Britons aged 18 to 30 support closer ties with Europe, including mobility agreements. Even some Brexit-supporting politicians now back a capped youth scheme as a pragmatic way to rebuild lost links without undermining broader immigration control.
Former minister Steve Baker argued in a recent interview that such a deal “absolutely would not amount to a return to free movement.” Negotiations will not be easy. The EU reportedly wants British students to be eligible for local tuition rates—a key sticking point for UK negotiators concerned about domestic funding. Language rights, health access, and recognition of qualifications will also be on the table.
But there is political momentum. Germany’s ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, said in April 2024 that “a youth mobility deal would be a powerful symbol of reconnection” and suggested it could particularly benefit working-class students who otherwise lack the means to travel or study abroad. As summit talks near, both the numbers and the politics suggest that youth mobility is returning to the centre of UK-EU relations.
With clear gaps in the post-Brexit immigration landscape and rising demand from students, employers, and cultural institutions, a new deal could offer a win-win, expanding opportunity for young people without reopening the full doors of the single market. Whether this leads to something broader remains to be seen, but after years of frozen movement, the first signs of thaw are becoming visible.