STATEMENT

th

June 26 2016

EUDYS RESPONSE ON THE DECISION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM TO LEAVE THE EU.

Last Friday Deaf young people in Europe woke up to a different world. A different world
wherein the United Kingdom chose not longer to be a member of the European Union.
However the people of the United Kingdom were granted one of our most sacred human
rights - the right to vote this only can be a bittersweet victory for the people of the UK.
Bittersweet in the sense of the worries that this may bring to the young people of which a
majority voted to remain in the EU and their future. Polls1 have shown that 64% of the
young people aged between 18 and 24 have voted to remain in the EU, and they also have
to live the longest with the decision to leave the UK, as opposed to the age group of people
older than 65+, of which 58% had voted to leave the EU, but they will life 53 years shorter
than the youngest people.
Democracy and the right of vote were granted to the British people. Although the European
Union of the Deaf Youth is an apolitical organisation therefore we will not give our judging
related to the results of the referendum we surely would like to express our worries about
the impact this may have on the life of young people, especially those with fewer
opportunities, thus the deaf youth in all of the United Kingdom.
As the European Youth Forum states: In todays world, there is no benefit to isolation.
Globalisation, migration and climate change are only a few examples of issues where we
must act together and doing so in the European Union is even more powerful. Close
cooperation between peoples and countries within and beyond the borders of the Union is
the only sustainable path for the future.2 The board of EUDY cannot do else than support
this statement.
Another part of our worries is the direct impact on the Deaf youth community the leave may
have. Right now what we know for sure is the countless opportunities the Deaf youth enjoy
by being an EU member: the freedom of travel, the freedom to study abroad, the freedom
1

https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/6dyqk54jeu/EU_160226_Prospect_Website.pdf
http://www.youthforum.org/pressrelease/the-united-kingdoms-decision-to-leave-the-european-union-will-impact-youngpeoples-future-the-most/
2

to have a job abroad, the freedom to set up companies and most importantly, the tool to
fund those freedoms: the Erasmus+ funding program of the European Union. Right now we
do not know how this may affect the Britishes. The negotiations could result in the UK
having a sort of the same status of Norway and Iceland, for which countries the Erasmus+
programme is an opportunity. Or like Switzerland, the United Kingdom could be made
exempt of the opportunities of this programme.
Mostly of the latter, EUDY still would like to transfer a message to the British government
and the other European leaders, without any prejudice to any work they may do during the
negotiations. We call upon every leader involved in the negotiations not to punish the British
citizens. The European Youth Forum asks them to take the interests of young people of
which a large part voted to remain into account in the discussions. EU and UK leaders must
come up together with a fair agreement, which lets young people take advantage of
opportunities for, for example, intercultural learning, cultural and educational exchanges,
and trade and employment opportunities. And EUDY agrees, especially when applied to Deaf
youth.
Lastly, as a direct message to the Deaf Youth community in the United Kingdom: as far as
the EUDY board and staff are concerned, nothing will change between the EUDY and the
British Deaf Association Youth (BDAY). The United Kingdom remains a member of the
Council of Europe, and according to our regulations any member state of the CoE is eligible
to become a member of EUDY. Already since 2010 we have had the honour to have the
United Kingdom as one of our closest cooperation partner and there is no reason to change
this cooperation.

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

European Union of the Deaf Youth is a non-governmental organisation without any profit,
representing the interests of young Deaf people in the member states of the Council of
Europe. Since 1987 EUDY is organising activities where Deaf young people can meet each
other, exchange cultures and ideas and build up networks. www.eudy.info
For more information about this release, please contact EUDYs Secretary General, Dennis
Hoogeveen through d.hoogeveen@eudy.info.