Britain is set to open its doors to tens of thousands of young Europeans as the Government prepares to sign a deal to return to an EU scheme.
On Wednesday, No10 is expected to announce a deal has been struck to rejoin the Brussels-backed Erasmus student exchange scheme, which saw an estimated 250,000 EU students come to Britain between 2010 and 2020.
The deal will see the UK return to the Erasmus Plus programme in 2027.
The move comes just weeks after Sir Keir Starmer openly called for Britain to establish closer ties with Brussels.
No10 is expected to announce that a deal has been struck to rejoin the Brussels-backed exchange scheme
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During talks with the EU, the Prime Minister said he was prepared to make “trade-offs” in a bid to build stronger relations with the bloc.
Under the deal, European students will be able to spend a year studying in Britain as part of their degree, while continuing to pay tuition fees to their home universities.
British students will also be able to complete a year of their degree at a European university.
The move has been welcomed by universities which have consistently pushed for Britain to rejoin the programme.
European students will be able to spend a year studying in Britain as part of their degree
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After Brexit, the UK had the opportunity to stay locked into the scheme – but Conservative ministers decided against it after concluding it was too costly.
Despite Erasmus being heavily skewed to benefit students from the continent, the EU demanded £300million annually for Britain to remain within it.
In 2018, a little under 32,000 European students came to Britain to study, compared to 17,000 Britons moving in the opposite direction.
France led the way with the highest number of student arrivals, followed by Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.
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In 2018, just under 32,000 European students came to Britain to study
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The EU scheme is estimated to have costed the British taxpayer every £200million every year.
Reacting to the proposed deal, Ex-Tory MP Sir John Redwood said: “The Government’s wish to spend money on Erasmus and opening our borders to more young people from the EU fails to target our tax money and efforts on our own young people.
“Instead, they face more difficulty in finding a job and a home.”
It is understood that the Government has been offered a 30 per cent reduction in membership fees from Brussels in a bid to get the deal over the line.
Universities have praised the move, with Whitehall sources saying it will benefit both students and higher education institutions.
The Russell Group said: “Erasmus+ opens up fantastic opportunities for students, adult learners and young people to all benefit from new experiences and learning.
“It will also renew the huge contributions that EU students and staff make to life on our university campuses.”
GB News has approached the Government for comment.