Overview
- European diplomatic sources say Brussels wants no fixed annual quota, seeks equal treatment for EU students on fees, and urges waiving the NHS surcharge, with an emergency brake if numbers surge.
- UK officials are pressing for a capped scheme limited to two years with numbers in the tens of thousands, and a government spokesperson reiterated that any final deal must be time‑limited and capped.
- Ministers are split, with the Treasury backing a more expansive programme for growth while the Home Office warns about effects on net migration.
- Talks remain at an early stage, with age eligibility, length of stay, and the scale of any cap still under negotiation, and Nick Thomas‑Symonds is due to meet Maroš Šefčovič in Brussels next week.
- Both sides are working toward a draft early in the new year and are discussing related steps such as a possible UK return to Erasmus alongside a 2027 rollout for the youth scheme.