European citizens in dark over right to remain
EU CITIZENS are “still in the dark” about their right to remain in the UK after Brexit despite protections promised in the Government’s deal with the union, according to campaigners.
Prime Minister Theresa May hailed the guarantees for the more than three million EU citizens living in the UK, saying they could carry on as normal, and David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, said they could be “confident” of their rights.
But campaign group the3million, which represents EU nationals in the UK, said the agreement between negotiators from the Government and the union was a “flawed compromise” and many people were uncertain over whether they would qualify for the new “special status” to be implemented post-Brexit.
They said there were concerns about the “special status” provision and the limited oversight of the European Court of Justice, whose authority UK courts can consult with over rights disputes for eight years after withdrawal.
Nicolas Hatton, the organisations chairman, said: “Our rights should not have an expiry date... Worryingly, there is still no clarity around the registration criteria for these rights.
“There are a huge number of people still in the dark about whether they will qualify or not. Hundreds and thousands of them might get a letter that they have to go.”
Fellow campaign spokeswoman Maike Bohn added: “We oppose the settled status and we want a simple registration system and non-deportation in case of error.
“They have clearly taken note of our objections to settled status and they have tweaked the name but what’s underneath concerns us still.”