Surgeon ‘told to get immigration lawyer’

BIRMINGHAM Children’s Hospital told a surgeon to get an immigration lawyer – because of fears he could be deported after Brexit.

The Swedish consultant paediatric surgeon was told by the health trust running the hospital to get advice on whether he would be allowed to stay in the UK and continue treating sick children, MPs were told.

Conservative MP Jeremy Lefroy, MP for Stafford, revealed the incident as he backed calls for the Government to make it clear that EU citizens currently in the UK legally will be allowed to stay.

MPs are continuing debates about the Government’s European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, which gives Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger Article 50 and begin the process of leaving the EU.

A number are trying to amend the legislation so that it includes a legal guarantee that existing migrants from EU countries such as Sweden can stay.

It is an issue which has united many Conservative MPs, such as Mr Lefroy, and Labour MPs, such as Birmingham MP Jess Phillips (Lab Birmingham Yardley).

Mr Lefroy told the Commons: “We are seeing people such as my constituent who is a consultant paediatric surgeon from Sweden, who approached me over the New Year, most distressed, because he wasn’t sure about his future status. And he performs really valuable services to the people of the West Midlands and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

“And he had been given advice that he should seek the services of an immigration lawyer. And that advice had come from his trust.”

The Government said that it hopes to offer assurances soon to existing EU migrants.