Those planning to come and study, holiday or even immigrating to the UK need not worry about Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, a study has revealed. The decision is likely to have far-reaching implications for Europeans travelling, working and studying in the UK, but for Indians, the situation will be more of the same.
Soon after Britain voted to leave the European Union and British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his decision to step down, Indian students gathered around tables at the British Council in New Delhi and began examining what ‘Brexit’ would mean for them.
A newspaper wrote, Naina Gautam who had visited the UK in 2014 reportedly said, “Never saw EU sticking together.” Gautam said the “vibe was one of segregation” in the largest EU city, London. Preparing for the civil services examination, at the council library, the students debated aspects of the vote — political, economic and personal.
Tamanna, enrolled in a three-month course to study German at the Max Mueller Bhawan in Delhi. She is learning German to join her brother in Munichsaid, “In the run-up to the vote, there was a lot of talk about Britain’s xenophobia emerging from the migrant crisis across Europe, I wonder if that will translate to other European countries.”
Shatabdi Ghosh-laskar, Head Language Courses & Examinations at the centre, said the effects of the Brexit vote would largely be economic, rather than political or cultural.
About 300,000 foreign students study in Germany, of whom 11,860 are Indians, according to the German mission. Most German universities are sponsored by the state to keep study-fees affordable, “and the number of scholarships available keep increasing”.
Dame Julia Goodfellow, President of Universities UK said: “Leaving the EU will create significant challenges for universities. Although this is not an outcome that we wished or campaigned for, we respect the decision of the UK electorate. We should remember that leaving the EU will not happen overnight – there will be a gradual exit process with significant opportunities to seek assurances and influence future policy.
“Throughout the transition period our focus will be on securing support that allows our universities to continue to be global in their outlook, internationally networked and an attractive destination for talented people from across Europe. These features are central to ensuring that British universities continue to be the best in the world.
“Our first priority will be to convince the UK Government to take steps to ensure that staff and students from EU countries can continue to work and study at British universities in the long term, and to promote the UK as a welcoming destination for the brightest and best minds. They make a powerful contribution to university research and teaching and have a positive impact on the British economy and society. We will also prioritise securing opportunities for our researchers and students to access vital pan-European programmes and build new global networks.
Universities UK is the representative organisation for the UK's universities. Founded in 1918, its mission is to be the definitive voice for all universities in the UK, providing high quality leadership and support to its members to promote a successful and diverse higher education sector. With 133 members and offices in London, Cardiff (Universities Wales) and Edinburgh (Universities Scotland), it promotes the strength and success of UK universities nationally and internationally.
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How have students reacted in Britain?
By Marcus Parekh
After last Thursday earth-shattering referendum result, we went out and spoke to some students and young people, asking them for their reactions.
Arjun Alimchandani, student, 19 - I am truly afraid that the nation will become divided along many lines. Not only will the nation is likely to split into several different countries with the departure of Scotland, but also along ethnic, generational and socio-economic lines. Even on the night of the referendum, my father suffered some abuse on a pub, when some Leave voters shouted “Trust an immigrant to betray our country!”. I’m worried that the Indian community will face more targeted abuse. I also feel this is a tragic loss for young people, who will now struggle to build future relationships with their European partners. When I visit the continent in the future, I won’t say I’m English. I’ll say I’m Indian. I’m slightly ashamed of our country.
Patrick Hannam, student, 19 - I voted on principle rather than over issues of economics or migration and while I’m happy to be on the winning side, I’m afraid of how severe market reactions have been. I’m also insulted by the aggressive reactions of many remain voters. The call for a second referendum is completely undemocratic. The future of the Labour party also troubles me. I hope Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t resign as he has the greatest public mandate of any party leader. Even if he ran again on another leadership ballot, I feel he would win again in a landslide, but if he resigns then Labour will be left with a choice of terrible, uninspiring candidates.
Freya Horsley, student, 19 - I voted for remain but I feel as if I learnt more after the result than I did before I voted. I think the media coverage was much better after Thursday than before. I’m worried as to how expensive and difficult travel will be to Europe. It will be much harder for young people to work in Europe and will also make holidays more arduous to organise. However, I understand that property prices are likely to drop as a result of this referendum, which gives me some cause for optimism for young people looking to become first-time buyers. Also, while David Cameron’s resignation was shocking, I feel he had to go as there was an irreconcilable difference between his beliefs and that of the general public.
Alex Godfrey, insurance broker, 27 - While I feel this is an exciting opportunity for Britain to stand on it’s own two feet, I am fully aware that Britain’s position in the world economy is in jeopardy. What we’ve seen in the markets is that the FTSE ended last week only down 2%. While this is a big move, it is only a shaking of the bed, not a shaking of the entire house. The markets are likely to be much more sensitive both to headline (shifts in political leadership) and regulatory (sector rules and laws) volatility. I’m concerned by the statements from HSBC and Morgan Stanley about their plans to outsource jobs to Paris and Dublin, but it is impossible to predict how many businesses will follow suit.
Rohana Mishra, student, 21 - I didn’t vote because I felt like I had a lack of real information and so thought it would be irresponsible to try and affect the result. Nonetheless I’m concerned with issues over future travel as we’ll have to get visa’s to go to Europe and flights will cost more. I’m also troubled by the short-term economic impact, though from what I hear the country will be better off in the long-run. What I would say is I find the reaction by young people who wanted to remain as somewhat irresponsible. They cannot blame the elderly who voted to leave, rather they should blame the apathetic young people who could not be bothered to vote. While I myself did not vote, I find that many young people chose not to as they had little interest in the issue. If young people cannot make their peers interested, then the responsibility lies with them, not with the older generations who made the effort.
