EU nationals in UK to keep rights until Brexit

EU NATIONALS living in the UK will keep all of their current rights until the country leaves the European Union, a senior official has said.

Mark Sedwill told MPs “there will be no knocks on the door” when asked about uncertainty following the Brexit vote.

Britain is expected to seek to introduce controls on free movement rules but the details of the system are yet to be outlined.

Ministers have been urged to provide a firm guarantee about the status of EU citizens already in the country ahead of negotiations with Brussels, which will also cover the rights of Britons living in other member states in the bloc.

The Government has said it expects” the legal status of EU nationals living in this country, and that of UK nationals in EU member states, will be “properly protected” when the UK leaves.

Mr Sedwill, the Home Office permanent secretary, told the Commons Home Affairs Committee: “Until the UK leaves the EU all EU citizens have exactly the same rights they had on June 22.

“Those rights include, if you have been here for five years, the right to permanent residence and if you’ve been here for six years ... the right to apply for citizenship.”

Mr Sedwill said the Government’s position is that all of Britain’s rights of membership continue until it leaves the EU, adding that “there is clearly a question beyond that”.