UK-EU ‘Youth Experience’ deal could reopen doors for young Europeans

A Canterbury-based student union leader has welcomed the prospect of renewed ties with Europe, saying a deal will “open a lot of doors for opportunities,” especially for Kent-based students.

This comes ahead of the EU and UK plan to discuss a new “youth experience” deal that could allow thousands of under-30s to live, work and study across Europe.

An EU-UK summit is expected to be held later this month in order to discuss how this scheme could be implemented.

The end of freedom of movement since the UK left the EU back in 2020 has made it more difficult for young people to relocate between Britain and European Union countries. 

Joseph Butler-Moor, newly elected Student Union President at Canterbury Christ Church University, said that living abroad would add to people’s understanding of different cultures in a way that can’t be achieved in a classroom.

His thoughts were echoed by Sam Newman, a 26-year-old international relations graduate from Canterbury who said his future was “on hold” as a result of Brexit.

Mr Newman expressed his concerns about the lack of pathways into EU countries, stating that he had run out of hope he would ever be able to move back to Germany after his semester there last year.

He said: “I want to go back to the EU. I want to live there and work there, but the possibilities I’ve almost exhausted trying to figure out how to do that.”

Back in 2024, Britain’s Conservative government rejected the European Commission’s proposed new agreement, which would have allowed people under 30 years old to move across the Channel for up to four years.

However, since the UK’s election of a Labour government, talks of the deal are expected to resume formally at a summit in London on May 19.

Miguel Berger, Germany’s Commissioner to the UK, has shown enthusiasm for the deal. 

In an interview with BBC Radio 4, he said: “I am now pretty optimistic that we are moving in a good direction. There is a very serious and dedicated preparatory work for the summit on May 19.”