The dire situation that UK scientific community has been fearing in these last two years is, quite probably, one of the consequences that people voting for brexit in 2016 failed to consider. Brexit, and in particular the catastrophic perspective of a no-deal exit from the EU – which last 15 january became more likely as the UK parliament fiercely rejected the last negotiations – would not only leave UK science without arrangements on european fundings (e.g. H2020), but would also have more direct consequences until new immigration rules are properly discussed (40% of the scientific workforce comes from other EU nations, as stated by Paul Nurse, director of the Francis Crick Institute in London). With this scenario in mind, UK scientists are starting to elaborate possible contingency plans in the event of a hard brexit.
Source: Nature Website