Brexit: Britons increasingly open to rejoining the EU

This update focuses on Brexit rejoining EU. Ten years after the Brexit referendum, a major new poll shows that many Britons are again looking towards Brussels, a trend that could eventually reshape the environment in which Moroccans live, work and travel in the United Kingdom.

Brexit rejoining EU: a poll that shifts the debate

A nationwide survey carried out by consulting firm Messina Group (TMG) between 12 and 24 September among 11,461 respondents shows that 49% of Britons support rejoining the European Union, while 28.5% are against.

Among seven possible scenarios for future relations with Brussels, rejoining the EU attracts the highest level of support. Other options remain popular as well: 48.2% would keep the current relationship but remove trade barriers as much as possible, 47.1% back a customs union, 45.1% support joining the single market and 45.5% favour an associated membership status.

By contrast, only 27.9% of those polled want the UK to move further away from the EU, while 41.2% oppose that direction. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has recently revived the discussion on the long-term relationship with Brussels, against a backdrop of growing disillusionment with Brexit.

A harsher judgement on the Brexit years

The Messina Group survey shows a clear reassessment of the 2016 decision. Some 52.4% of respondents now say the UK was wrong to leave the EU, compared with 29.7% who still believe it was the right choice.

The verdict on results is even tougher: 54.9% describe Brexit as a failure, while only 12.2% consider it a success. These views help explain why ideas of closer ties with the EU, including a potential Brexit rejoining EU scenario, are gaining ground.

Timing remains uncertain. According to the poll, 25.9% would like to see the UK rejoin immediately, 22.9% within three years and 8.4% within the next decade. On the other hand, 23% reject any further rapprochement with Brussels.

When it comes to procedure, nearly a third of respondents believe a new referendum would be needed before any return. More than one in six consider that a mandate secured through general elections could be enough.

What this could mean for Moroccans in the UK

No decision is on the table yet, and a Brexit rejoining EU scenario would take years to negotiate. But the direction of the public debate matters for Moroccans living in the UK, and for those who move back and forth between Britain, Europe and Morocco.

Several areas could eventually be affected if London deepened ties with the EU, even without full membership:

• Travel and European connections: closer integration with the EU could, over time, make air connectivity and European stopovers smoother, which matters for Moroccans flying between the UK and Morocco via European hubs.
• Cost of living and jobs: a more stable trading relationship with the EU could ease some price pressures and support economic activity, indirectly impacting sectors where many Moroccans work.
• Study and business plans in Europe: for dual nationals and long-term residents, a softer border between the UK and the EU could make it easier to build study, research or business projects that link London, European capitals and Morocco.

For now, nothing changes in the travel rules between Morocco and the UK. Moroccans abroad should therefore continue to check, case by case, the conditions of transit and available routes with airlines and official channels, especially during peak travel periods.

Plan ahead, but wait for concrete decisions

Even if support for a this case path continues to grow, any shift in the UK’s status would require lengthy and complex negotiations with Brussels.

For Moroccans in the UK, the key is to stay informed about reforms that could, over time, affect residence rights, taxation, trade opportunities or travel between Britain, Europe and Morocco. In case of official changes to mobility rules, information should always be cross-checked with British, European and Moroccan authorities, as well as with transport operators.

Until then, plans to invest in Morocco, to return regularly or to move back permanently can be organised on the basis of the current framework, while keeping in mind that the UK–EU relationship is far from settled and may evolve over the coming years.

For more context, readers can follow Canal212 news for Moroccans abroad.

For official updates, readers can check the relevant official source.