Following the commencement of formal exit negotiations with the European Union, the Government have announced that no EU citizen who is currently lawfully in the UK will be asked to leave at the point the UK leaves the EU. In addition, EU citizens who have lived in the UK continuously for 5 years, as well as any of their family dependents that join them before Brexit is finalised, will be assured “settled status”. This is in exchange for a reciprocal agreement for the rights of UK citizens in the EU.
Reacting to the announcement, Mid Worcestershire MP, Nigel Huddleston, said, “it has always been a clear first priority of Brexit negotiations that the position of EU nationals living in the UK would be guaranteed in line with a reciprocal agreement for the rights of UK nationals living in the EU. I appreciate that some EU citizens in my constituency have still been apprehensive about their status, so I am glad that the Government has delivered on its promise to open negotiations on this issue. EU nationals living in the UK contribute a huge amount to our economy and our way of life, and can now be confident that they can continue to do so for as long as they wish to remain here.
I look forward to engaging with Government as negotiations develop and move forward. This guarantee is a good first step, but I hope to see further assurances made on issues like migrant labour in agriculture and horticulture, and other areas that have been more heavily dependent on the movement of labour and skills from the EU. The Government is sending the right signals so far, and I anticipate constructive debates in Parliament, as well as further positive resolutions between the Government and the EU during negotiations in Brussels.”