Joe Duggan (Reporter)
BRITISH citizens living in the EU would have their residency rights limited post-Brexit under EU proposals, David Davis claims.
The Brexit secretary criticised the EU plans in a letter to the House of Lords EU Committee on Wednesday.
Under the EU proposals, 1.2 million Brits living in the EU would be barred from moving to work or study in another country other than the one they live in, or the UK, post-Brexit.
“The EU has confirmed that their offer only guarantees residence rights in the Member State in which a British national was resident at the point of our exit from the EU,” wrote Davis.
“It does not guarantee the holder of those residence rights any right to onward movement within the EU, for example to work or study in a neighbouring Member State.”
However, a Spanish or other EU citizen resident in the UK after March 2019 would be permitted to move to any of the other 27 member states as well as stay in the UK, under the EU’s plans.
“We have questioned whether this is consistent with the principle of reciprocity, and also with the Commission’s desire to protect rights currently enjoyed under EU law,” continued Davis.
“This will be the subject of further discussion in due course.”
The EU could also bar British nationals living in the EU from voting in local elections.
Britain has suggested EU citizens who have lived in the UK for five years can apply for ‘settled status’ to remain in the UK indefinitely once Britain exits the single bloc.
Davis described the recent rounds of talks with European Commission negotiators, led by Michel Barnier, in Brussels as ‘difficult, but ultimately productive’.
The UK and EU negotiating teams are set to reconvene for further discussions on August 28.
Most Brits that have moved somewhere in the EU would not have any intention of moving to another country, so would readily agree to the EU’s proposal.
Most are retired and spending their lives in a location that they have chosen to enjoy the rest of their lives (for me, it’s Spain & I certainly won’t ever be moving anywhere else & certainly not back to the UK).
Voting in local elections would be nice, but I can’t see many brits arguing the point if they are allowed to continue their health-cover as it is now & basically to carry on as normal.
The UK is the one having to negotiate on this (not the EU) & if no agreement is made, then the EU would be happy to cast the UK adrift (as the UK government seems to want). It is a bloody disgrace that the brexit fiasco has been allowed to continue unabated but the UK population needs to realise they are the only losers in this.
My only worry is my daughter still lives in the UK – but hopefully she too will be able to leave at some future point as it really isn’t the UK I have always been proud to call home ……. now Spain is my home – a much friendlier and welcoming place & one which will flourish whether the UK stays in the EU or not (& there is still a chance the UK will wake up at some point and stop this process continuing – which the author of the article-50 has constantly confirmed can be done at any time by the UK government – so fingers crossed & hope for common sense to raise its head within the UK again.
The younger generations however, will be badly effected by these EU proposals, but I can’t see the EU stopping them moving within the EU at any time. It will be a little harder to do, even more paperwork to complete and perhaps a few more conditions that other nationals also need to do – but other nationalities are constantly entering the EU, so younger Brits will still be able to move here …… & once the UK is on its own – I can see many wanting to leave that particular sinking ship !
It is this kind of bullying by the unelected EU commissioners that has made the UK want to leave the EU. Has the EU got a mandate from the electorate to dictate these term? NO! The UK governemnt has a mandate to get us out of the EU and free from their constant meddling i our ability yo make our own laws and control our own borders. Spai is lucky, they have 1000s of square miles of open country into which they can put limitless numbers of immigrants. The UK is already over crowded! Have you driven on our roads or travelled the trains in the UK recently? If you have you’ll know how little space we have. We’ve already run out of enough houses to home everybody who’s here now and no land, other than prime agricultural alnd on which to builld. The only reason the UK is a sinking ship is because we’re overloaded!!
It is this kind of bullying by the unelected EU commissioners that has made the UK want to leave the EU. Has the EU got a mandate from the electorate to dictate these term? NO! The UK governemnt has a mandate to get us out of the EU and free from their constant meddling i our ability yo make our own laws and control our own borders. Spai is lucky, they have 1000s of square miles of open country into which they can put limitless numbers of immigrants. The UK is already over crowded! Have you driven on our roads or travelled the trains in the UK recently? If you have you’ll know how little space we have. We’ve already run out of enough houses to home everybody who’s here now and no land, other than prime agricultural alnd on which to builld. The only reason the UK is a sinking ship is because we’re overloaded!!
Our thoughts entirely Ray as pensioners east of Malaga we are staying.Originally from Scotland which we love dearly but its work till you drop there now.So we are staying put but for many others the drop in the exchange ratehas really affected their choices it has now gone lower than the year we arrived 6 years ago.We can only hope someone sees sense and backs out of Brexit.Everyone was given wrong information on an important issue for the whole country.It should not be that the views and decisions of both Scotland and Wales are trampled on again.In the name of freedom, what freedom ?Thereis none in Uk niw only for those entering illegally and lining up for benefits.
Agree wholeheartedly Caroline, except for the last sentence. If you DO have to return to the UK, you will be shocked and disappointed when, and if, you try to line up for benefits. That option has been effectively dealt with by the Nasty Party, who are currently bumping off the sick, disabled and unfortunate.
Some good points here but Brexit will go ahead, in some form or another. I suspect that freedom of movement will continue albeit in another name with a form or two to fill in. The Leave majority is increasing as people start to see the potential benefits of breaking free from the EU bureaucracy. The EU project has proved to be useful in the past but its relevance is waining; it has delivered free movement which has been universally unpopular; it has failed to deliver monetary union. With Britain a member it will never be able to deliver this as GB will never accept the euro nor give up our own central bank. The only way to “rescue” the situation now is if the EU comes to Britain with promises of reform and asks us to reconsider.
On the exchange rate point, at 1.10 euros to the pound, as we are at present, we are sitting around the long term average exchange rate. The period of 1.40 seems more of a blip with no real explanation and when those of us with income in GBP and expenses in euros we must expect to experience fluctuation – enjoy the good times but make provision for when rates go against us.
Places like Spain and Portugal should exploit the UK’s Brexit misery and capitalise on it. There will be plenty of Brexit refugees who are self supporting and want to leave the UK before the trap door slams shut and it becomes much more difficult.
Spain should look at Portugal in terms of tax incentives and property laws which work far better than theirs.
Post Brexit, it will be a very different type of Brit who moves to Spain and if the free healthcare for the over 60s goes west, it will only be people who are wealthy.