German Academic Body Warns British Government To Keep EU Free Movement

By Ben Kerrigan-

Over 5,200 Germans are among  32,000 non-British EU academics that comprise 17% of UK university teaching and research posts, The UK Guardian reports.  Some of the leading researchers in the country. Many of the researchers are beneficiaries of the Eurpean research council’s prestigious and nid career grant.

Head of  the academic exchange service, Margret Wintermantel, the head of the academic exchange service DAAD, said uncertainty about future working and residence conditions was “proving painful” and prompting top academics to turn down British university jobs. The academic exchange service represents over 300 education institutions across Germany.

“The mobility of researchers should not be restricted, either for British academics in EU countries or EU citizens at British institutions,” Wintermantel wrote in the Guardian. “

It is now up to the British government to create the necessary framework to ensure this can happen.”

More than 5,200 Germans are among the 32,000 non-British EU academics that make up 17% of UK university teaching and research posts. At higher-ranking institutions, the figure tops 20%. They include some of the leading researchers in the country: more than half the European research council’s prestigious mid-career grants in the UK are held by EU researchers.

Scientists from the pro-remain campaign group  for the EU, claim to have received more than 430 responses , including 30 cases of EU nationals turning down UK jobs or withdrawing applications. 8 EU academics previously working in Britain have left. Thw scientists have been compiling evidence on the impact of the Brexit vote, as part of research on the effects the historical vote has had on Britain.

The  Guardian also reports that 40  British members of international research projects, have been asked by their EU partners to scale down their role or withdraw from the consortium altogether. Close to 50 reports have cited xenophobia as a concern. Several people said they had personally experienced abuse, such as being told to go home.

Over 120 EU academics fear for the future of UK science or prospects for their own careers, if they remained in Britain. Over 90 said they or their colleagues were making concrete plans to leave the UK as a result of the Brexit vote, according to the research. Further reports that a spike in applications has been observed at the Italian University of Bolgna, has added to the body of evidence that many top EU academics are leaving the country or planning to leave soon.

What this may mean is that as EU in the UK academics and employees leave due to pessimism and xenophobia,  Uk staff in EU countries are likely to face similar treatment in retaliation, leading to an intensification of tense relations between the UK and The EU.

Mike Galsworthy, the programme director of Scientists for EU, told the Guardian that science and research is “a fluid system” and many EU nationals in the UK field were clearly considering their futures, driven by a mixture of broad cultural concerns, practical worries about their personal status and future funding fears.

“The anti-immigrant focus of the leave campaign and the surge in xenophobia nationally since the referendum have made many foreigners in the UK research community feel less welcome,” Galsworthy said.

“But people also worry about their rights as citizens and about the future funding landscape. We know nothing about what British science structure and policy will be, or its relationship with EU programmes.”

EU nationals  residing in Britain should not have to worry about xenophobia. They should not be affected by limitations in the free movement because the effects of Brexit should only affect those who arrived in Britain after the Brexit referendum vote. All other EU nationals who have been in the UK before Brexit, should be entitled to free movement in the same way as British nationals who have lived in EU countries should not have to worry about restrictions on their movement or hostile actions that reflect xenophobic attitudes.

The only potential obstruction is reasonable agreements between Britain and The EU. It makes no sense for EU nationals who have bee resident in the UK for years before Brexit, to experience discrimination or inconvenience of any sort due to Brexit.

With the Treasury set to underwrite existing EU-funded projects, including bids to the €80bn Horizon 2020 programme, concerns heightning for affected parties is growing.

The British Academy and the Royal Society, recently wrote to the government asking for  reassurance to EU researchers that “they and their dependents will be able to continue to live and work here”.

Universities UK- representatives of 135 universities, has urged the government to guarantee  that existing EU staff will be able to remain after Brexit and send a “clear international message” that Britain remains “an attractive destination for academic talent”.

It is a shame EU staff in British Universities don’t already have this assurance, but this is an issue thar requires clarity for the sake of peace of mind.  The group want future immigration reforms to reflect the importance to the UK of international students and academic employees.

Such reforms are possible, but not in the context of granting free movement of any sort.The Brexit referendum reflects a clean break from the free movement of the EU nationals, and only if article 50 is never invoked, can the situation be reversed. However, Theresa May has made very clear that Brexit means Brexit, and with this, only those who were already here before the  Brexit referendum outcome, will have any legal basis for continuing to stay here without suffering any disadvantages which they currently fear.