Home Office Update on EU Citizens and Their Rights During Implementation Period
Last week, the UK Home Office made an important announcement in relation to EU citizens and their rights during the Implementation Period (i.e the period immediately after the UK's withdrawal from the EU on 29th March 2019). The aim of the announcement is to clarify those rights for EU citizens during the Implementation Period and provide EU citizens with certainty should they wish to move to the UK between 2019 and the end of the period in 2021. The announcement also specifies those rights which will be conferred under UK law. The key points to note are as follows:
- EU citizens and their family members will be able to move to the UK during the Implementation Period on the same basis as today;
- A temporary status in UK law will allow anyone arriving during the Implementation Period who is working, studying or self-sufficient to remain for five years to obtain settlement;
- EU citizens will be granted the ability to be joined by family members after the Implementation Period, on a par with British citizens.
This announcement will provide a basis for interactions under a future immigration framework, from 2021. The UK government is also waiting on recommendations from the independent Migration Advisory Committee which is due to make a final report in September 2018 in relation to proposals for a new immigration system, which would be applied from 2021 onwards.
More details relating to this important announcement from the Home Office can be found here:
