The streets there a lot of people ignoring social distancing Across Europe of far more muted affair with capitals largely deserted in London, a celebration of sorts when big Ben struck 11 PM, which was midnight in Continental Europe, the appointed time for the UK to finally sever ties with the European Union. Yes, a major headline dropped with the new Year. Brexit is official. That means Brits can no longer live and work in the rest of Europe without a visa and British students gone is there year to study on the other side of the English Channel. For many young Brits, the arrest Ms program had become a rite of passage. World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more on that How she Muhammed was 23 when he arrived in center TN in France on an Erasmus program. It was the summer of 2000 and 51 of the first impressions was how dirty the streets were, actually because I remember at the time people just didn't seem to pick up after their dogs. Mohammed, a British citizen, was studying low of the University of Hartford. Sure. In England. It was this French teacher who was originally France Inter TN who encouraged Mohamed to go. There is part of a Rasmus and it was a decision that changed his life. They fundamentally transformed the way I see the world the way I see myself the way I see Future prospects and just the way I think as well. Mohammed was nine when it came to the UK as an unaccompanied child refugee from Kenya. He says he was raised mainly on state benefits. Many of conservative MPs who this week welcomed the decision to end Britain's involvement in Rasmus have called the scheme a paid gap here from middle class students. Mohamed says for him and many others, This couldn't be further from the truth. Andhra Patrick White from Dublin, agrees quite grew up in a single parent family in Ireland. He tells me he's a Rasmus experience changed him, too. Although he didn't quite know what to expect when he landed it hand over airport in Germany in 1993. I didn't even know my address. They'd organized accommodation for me, but I didn't know where it was What it was like that evening, I was sleeping in a farmhouse on the north side of the tone. So it was all the massive kind of unknown journey quite came to love the German food, the language and even some German music. He fell in love with an Italian woman, too. But it was the friends he made through a Rasmus that left a lasting impression. It was just really for the first time outside Dublin meeting, you know, like minded people somewhere from Stockholm somewhere from Helsinki, Leon or report Oh, Bush. Three of those are now you know, 22 years later. So of my closest friends. How she Muhammed says he's experienced lead to lifelong friendships to summer 2000 and five so violent protests breaking out across Paris against police harassment of immigrant communities. The unrest also spread to other French cities. Mohamed says it's part many conversations among his friends about what it meant to be French, European and an immigrant and it made him rethink his view of Britain. I came back to U K in many ways. With a real sense of understanding that in Britain, I certainly had a better ride in life because off the fact that Britain was a much more open, more tolerant to multicultural communities than then perhaps France because Mohammed, who's now a barrister, an author says in spite of Brexit, he still believes this to be true. The U. K government says it plans to replace a Rasmus next year with the new British project. Call the Children program named after the famous mathematician. This will allow students to study in universities around the world, not just in Europe, but many are asking how the UK would manage such a costly venture. Paul James Cardwell, his low professor at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, There's really lots and lots of practical challenges, which Mitigate against setting up a new agreements and new schemes in the period of time that we have. Cardwell has reason to be skeptical. He's organized exchange programs with universities across Europe. Creating new exchanges with universities and other parts of the world could mean much higher tuition fees, travel costs and visa issues. Cardwell says. The government is also forgetting one key benefit of the Erasmus program for Britain. We talk a lot about students going out, but students coming in from elsewhere in the EU bring enormous benefits financially, obviously, to the cities where they're living, but also in terms of soft power. Students who've come to the UK are informal ambassadors for the UK Danish Masters student regular old L could be one of those informal ambassadors old L went to born with university in England as part of the Erasmus program. Just two years ago, the food didn't impress her much. Oh yeah, It sucks. Who did says a family friend even warned her about British cuisine. She's born and raised in England. And when she learned that I was going to go on exchange, she texted me and she was Watch out for the food. It's going to kill you, but I'm dead survived and has come to love Britain. She tells me the whole experience. Major re evaluate the way she views life. I was lucky enough to become really good friends with some other girls who were also on exchanged and some local guys and they were just very much in touch with Everything around them like they sort of just knew what was important in life. Blue Dad says she'd love to live in Britain again. But Brexit may make that challenging on Britain's decision to end it's linked with the Rasmus means Danes, like her on many other Europeans will no longer have the opportunity to study in the UK for hashing Muhammed in London. He tells me it's young people here in Britain. He feels more sorry for. I think young Brits are going to be culturally poorer. In many ways, you know how she from 2000 and six had those opportunities that has she of 2000 and 20..