Open Doors, Open Futures
Our Open Doors, Open Futures campaign is fighting for greater opportunities for youth education, training and employment, such as ERASMUS+ and a Youth Mobility Scheme. We are delighted by the successful outcomes of the negotiations for the UK to rejoin ERASMUS+ and we will continue to champion the value of this scheme, especially for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. The UK Government is currently negotiating a Youth Mobility Scheme. We must ensure any proposed arrangement delivers for young people in the UK, and restores some of the rights which are still enjoyed by our European peers.
When the UK left the European Union, we didn’t just lose access to the single market, the customs union and the free trade agreement – we also lost valuable opportunities for young people in the UK. Notably, we lost Youth Mobility, which allowed young people from the UK to freely live, work and study in Europe, and for young European people to do the same in the UK. Post-Brexit, the UK has closed doors and dismantled the future that we, as young people, hoped to have.
But there is hope on the horizon – we have already rejoined Erasmus+, laying the groundwork for positive negotiations between the UK and the EU for a successful Youth Mobility Scheme.
The UK Government has agreed in principle to establish a Youth Mobility Scheme for British and European youth. We must now keep up the pressure to lobby for those same rights afforded to young Europeans, and restore the opportunities we once had.
Since the UK-EU Summit in May 2025, with the introduction of the Common Understanding between the EU and the UK, there has been a commitment to work towards a UK-EU youth mobility scheme. It is time that this progressed.
We know the UK public supports the creation of a new UK-EU scheme for young people. YouGov research conducted in 2025 found that 76% of UK citizens supported the creation of a youth experience scheme with the EU.
Let’s make the right decision: let’s open doors, and open futures.
How can you support our campaign?
- Write to your MP using our campaign tool, to demand their support for a meaningful Youth Mobility Scheme.
- Use the online search tool to discover EU-funded ERASMUS+ projects in your area.
- Check out our ‘Open Doors, Open Futures’ online gallery and share some of the incredible work that was submitted to our art open call.
- Join YEM as a member, or (if you are aged over-35) become a Friend of YEM and make a donation to support our campaign.
What is a Youth Mobility Scheme?
The Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) permits people from specific countries to be able to come to the UK for two to three years on a temporary visa. It is a reciprocal arrangement, meaning that UK citizens are able to acquire similar temporary visas in those other countries.
YMS schemes aim to promote cultural exchange, as well as provide a source of workers in the labour market.
In the UK, under current YMS visa requirements, individuals who hold a YMS visa are usually able to study, work, or travel as they wish. They can work in any job or sector, and are not confined to specific types of employment. They do not have access to social security support and cannot bring family members into the UK. The number of YMS visas are capped, and they are held on a temporary basis, usually around two – three years, depending on the country of origin. If the individual holding a YMS visa is subsequently eligible to apply for a different visa, such as a study or skilled work visa, they are able to apply for the new visa.
If a YMS deal negotiated between the UK and the EU had the same characteristics as the current YMS visa requirements in the UK, the arrangement would be different from free movement.
Free movement and YMS both allow people to work in any job. However, free movement does not have a limit on numbers, age, or length of residence, and it also allows access to social security support in some circumstances.
What are the benefits of a Youth Experience Scheme?
- Cultural exchange: the principle of cultural exchange, both within and outside of its borders, is important to the EU. The EU has been advised to support culture and cultural heritage, particularly to foster a sense of belonging and togetherness in Europe and advancing European shared values and identity. A youth mobility scheme would be an excellent means of realising this vision for the EU and for EU youth. The UK has also long recognised the benefits of cultural exchange to showcase its cultural heritage through its participation in exchange programmes.
- Resetting of UK-EU relations: the resetting of UK-EU relations is critical. Following the May 2025 summit, the UK and the EU agreed to continue their efforts to support travel and cultural exchange as part of their relations reset. Developing a youth mobility scheme between the UK and the EU can ensure a crucial development in the relations reset, particularly from a generational perspective.
- Labour Market benefits: it has been proposed that the expansion of a youth mobility scheme may be beneficial for the labour market. The labour market will benefit from the movement of skilled workers, who in turn can access greater employment opportunities and stronger wages. The Migration Advisory Committee has posited that expanding the youth mobility scheme to more countries, and particularly countries located near the UK, would be beneficial to sectors with a “more fluid” labour market, such as hospitality.
- Economic impact:
The UK Government, and other political actors, have regularly asserted claims in the last year that net migration figures to the UK are too high. However, businesses and companies operating across most sectors of the UK economy have actually argued for more overseas workers to join the UK labour market to help boost the UK’s economic growth. - Analysis by the Centre for European Reform suggests that introducing the new UK–EU Youth Mobility Scheme could increase UK GDP by between 0.4% and 0.45% over the next decade.
What is necessary for the success of the Scheme?
- Four year stays: European employers and educational institutions are far less likely to offer opportunities to young UK citizens if they are only able to stay for two years. Under a four year stay, young UK citizens will be offered serious professional opportunities that will allow them to develop their careers.
- Full Mobility within the EU: Similarly, young UK citizens must be able to move within the EU rather than single EU member states on a bilateral basis, to ensure they are able to fully engage with the interlinked professional and academic networks within the EU.
- An uncapped, reciprocal number of places: The more the scheme sees use, the more successful it will be. To ensure use of the scheme is fair, whilst promoting the highest possible numbers of UK youth travelling abroad, we propose a ‘one in one out’ scheme, without an arbitrary cap.
- Lowered visa costs to ensure equity of access – The Immigration Health Surcharge makes up the majority of visa costs. With a one in one out scheme, immigration to the UK and EU will be neutral, meaning neither party has a greater strain on its healthcare system. This should be reflected in a lowered Surcharge, and thus lower costs to apply for the visa, making the opportunity of work and study in Europe available to economically disadvantaged youth in the UK.
- The proposed scheme extended to include 18-35 year-olds, to remediate the damage caused to a generation who have been overwhelmingly disadvantaged by the social and economic impacts of both Brexit and the Covid pandemic.
The UK Government must rejoin Erasmus+ and agree on a comprehensive Youth Experience Scheme with Europe alongside allowing 4 years abroad for the Youth Experience Scheme.
A vast amount of those affected by these lost opportunities never had a say in the matter, as they were too young to vote in the Brexit referendum. Let’s make the right decision for them now, let’s choose Open Doors, and Open Futures.
