A 15-page policy paper published by the government on Monday, said prime minister Theresa May is seeking to maintain existing healthcare arrangements with the EU as well as guaranteeing the triple lock on pensions for the 472,000 UK citizens retired in the EU.
May also unveiled a new “settled status” for EU citizens living in the UK that will give applicants the same “indefinite leave to remain” status as many non-European nationals who have also lived in Britain for five years.
EU citizens resident in Britain will have to apply for an identity card after Brexit under Home Office proposals on their future rights.
Not good enough
Speaking to International Adviser, Robert Boaden from campaign group Expat Citizen Rights in EU, said expats can take some comfort that the UK “appears to have listened to their appeals” to protect pensions, health care, qualifications.
However, he added the proposal “falls far short of the level of protection” offered by the EU earlier this month, which promised a lifetime guarantee of all the current rights for all British expats living in the bloc.
“We are concerned that qualifying EU citizens will have to apply for their residence status. This seems to be an ID card system and will immediately make EU citizens different from UK citizens.
“So for Theresa May to claim that they will be treated the same is misleading, yet again. I live in France and have a French ID card, but under EU directive, this is not compulsory. Also, the idea of ID cards was rejected in the UK. If reciprocity is demanded, presumably, we will all need them,” said Boaden.
On Tuesday, EU negotiator Michael Barnier tweeted urging the UK government to provide “more ambition, clarity and guarantees” for EU citizens in the UK and British citizens in the EU.
Not a guarantee
Sue Wilson, a Briton who lives in Spain and campaigns on behalf of the Bremain in Spain group, said she was concerned with the phrasing of Monday’s policy paper which stated the UK would “seek to protect the healthcare arrangements” rather than providing an explicit guarantee.
“It’s understandable that many are finding it difficult to take May’s words at face value, or to feel that we are any closer to a resolution,” she told IA.
She added that the EU offer was “far more generous” and urged May to “agree, quickly, to everything the EU has already proposed”.
“We are merely asking to maintain the status quo, with no degradation of our rights – it’s not a matter of generosity but of justice. If she is proposing to limit rights and freedoms in any way, then we deserve to know which of those rights she [May] is prepared to sacrifice,” said Wilson.
Deal or no deal
Both Boaden and Wilson are calling on the UK and the EU to “ringfence” citizens’ rights against the possibility of a “no deal” in Brexit negotiations which has repeatedly been raised by May.
“We have consistently asked for any agreement on the rights of citizens to be ring fenced, protecting it from other aspects of the negotiations. If negotiations fail, at least EU and UK citizens will know their lives can continue uninterrupted,” said Boaden.
Wilson added: “The EU position is that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, so even if/when an agreement on citizens’ rights is reached, we would still have no reassurance that it would be honoured.”
