The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
EU citizens vow needs
Politics: Assurances made by May not good enough, says Brexit negotiator
Theresa May has suffered a fresh rebuff from Brussels over her latest attempt to break the deadlock regarding the rights of the 3.2million EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit.
The prime minister sought to offer reassurance that, until Britain actually leaves, EU citizens would continue to be able to bring dependent family members to join them in the UK.
She also promised a “streamlined and light touch” system to enable EU nationals who have been resident in the UK for five years to apply for “settled status” giving them indefinite leave to remain.
However, the European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, warned the proposals did not go far enough.
He said the EU remained committed to securing the same level of protection for its citizens as they currently enjoyed under EU law.
“More ambition, clarity and guarantees needed than in today’s UK position,” he wrote on Twitter.
The European Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, welcomed the commitment to simplify the arrangements for those who wished to remain in the EU but said concerns remained.
“A number of limitations remain worrisome and will have to be carefully assessed,” he said.
Despite receiving a frosty response when she outlined the proposals at the Brussels summit on Friday, the prime minister insisted the reaction from some individual leaders had been “very positive”.
Under the plan set out in a government paper, EU nationals with five years continuous residence in the UK will be able to apply for “settled status”.
Those who have been in the country for less than five years will be allowed to remain and then apply once they have accumulated the necessary five years.
“Under these plans, no EU citizen currently in the UK lawfully will be asked to leave at the point the UK leaves the EU,” Mrs May told MPs in a Commons statement.
“No families will be split up.
“Family dependants who join a qualifying EU citizen here before the UK’s exit will be able to apply for settled status after five years.”
The government paper promises to make the application process as “streamlined and userfriendly as possible”.
It is expected that those EU nationals granted “settled status” will be issued with documentation enabling them to access their rights, although Downing Street played down suggestions it would mean issuing ID cards.
“I don’t recognise the phrase ‘ID cards’,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.
“We already have a system whereby if you wish to work in the UK you have a piece of paper which confirms your right to do so. That would not be new.”
In her statement, the prime minister said EU nationals granted settled status would be treated “as if they were UK citizens for healthcare, benefits and pensions”.
Downing Street confirmed that would mean those claiming child benefit in respect of children living overseas would still be able to do so.
Mrs May stressed the offer was made on the basis that it would be fully reciprocated by the remaining 27 member states.
“That agreement must be reciprocal because we must protect the rights of UK citizens living in EU member states too.”