EU leader says May’s plan for migrants risks making things worse
THERESA May’s plans for the rights of three million EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit left European leaders angry and upset yesterday.
Speaking after a bad-tempered summit in Brussels, EU Council president Donald Tusk said her vague opening offer was “below expectations” and “risks worsening the situation” .
EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker was equally scathing, saying the PM’s plan was “not sufficient”.
And Germany’s leader Angela Merkel said May’s proposals were “not a breakthrough”, adding: “We have a long path ahead of us.”
The mood was not lightened by a sensational newspaper claim made by former chancellor George Osborne that May had vetoed David Cameron’s plan to give full rights to all EU migrants immediately after last June’s Leave vote.
The PM told the summit that migrants living in Britain before a certain date would be allowed to stay for five years and then gain permanent “settled status” with the same rights they enjoy now.
But she suggested the cut-off date could be as early as three months ago, meaning some newly-arrived workers may not be allowed to stay.
She gave no details of whether the new status would apply to spouses and families and flatly rejected a demand that EU citizens living in Britain continue to be governed by EU courts.
Migrants who have been in the UK for five years will get their new status as soon as the UK leaves the EU in 2019.
But the offer is conditional on British expats receiving the same treatment.
May called it a “fair and serious” offer that will provide “certainty” for the three million EU workers in Britain.
But reaction from leaders of the remaining 27 EU countries was deeply sceptical.
Dutch PM Mark Rutte said it begged “thousands of questions” while Belgium’s Charles Michel used a Flemish phrase to describe a dubious gift.
He said: “We don’t want a cat in the bag. We want the rights of EU citizens permanently guaranteed.”
Merkel was more cautious, saying: “It was a good start but it was also not the breakthrough, to put it conservatively.”
The German chancellor was speaking alongside new French president Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference designed to show the two countries are now the main power players.
As Macron nodded, she went on: “It became clear during the discussion that we have a long path ahead of us.”
Full details of May’s proposals will be published on Monday.
Tusk said the plan will then be picked over by his chief negotiator Michel Barnier next week but he made clear he was unimpressed with what he had seen so far.
He said: “My first impression is that it is below expectations and risks worsening the situation of citizens.”
Juncker said he was unhappy about May’s refusal to consider letting the European Court of Justice oversee EU migrants’ rights.
The mood at the two-day summit had already turned sour when Osborne revealed that his former Cabinet colleague had blocked a proposal to promise residency rights to all EU migrants after the Brexit vote last summer.
In the Evening Standard, which Osborne now edits, he said: “David Cameron wanted to reassure EU citizens they would be allowed to stay.
“All his Cabinet agreed with that unilateral offer, except his home secretary, Mrs May, who insisted on blocking it.”
The revelation sparked fury in Brussels, with Dutch MEP Sophie in ’t Veld slamming the PM as “ruthless, heartless and calculating”.
Sources close to Cameron confirmed the claim and said there had been “wide support” but the former leader agreed to drop the proposal knowing May could be his successor.
Yesterday, May did not deny the claims but insisted it was “certainly not my recollection” of what happened.
GEORGE OSBORNE