By Eric King-
Cut off dates for new Eu migrants to claim UK residence are to be set by Parliament after Mp’s raised the issue of a potential surge in response to Brexit.
Three cut off dates are to be set in order to prevent a spike in immigration levels from who may rush to the U.K in order to gain residency before Article 50 is invoked next year.
One of The first cut off dates proposed is last month’s referendum date of June 23rd; the second is the date article 50 is eventually invoked, and the third is the day the U.K actually leaves the EU. Mp’s fear a situation in which Britain is flooded by an increase in the already high and uncontrolled immigration, in the wake of Brexit, yet to be formalised by Article 50 around next year.
UK ministers are happy to secure the residential status of Eu nationals already living in Britain, so long as the same protection is given to the rights of British nationals abroad. This expectation is natural and should be mutual, though no definitive guarantees have yet been given by EU chiefs, who have so far rejected offers of talks with the U.K before Article 50 is actually invoked.
Previous attempts to tighten immigration rules have led to a spike in immigration prior to the rules coming into force, a report from the Home Affairs committee has said. ”Much will depend on the negotiations between the EU and the UK, and the details of any deal to retain or contain or constrain the freedom of movement in the European Union”.
Mr Vaz said ”there is a clear lack of certainty in the approach to the position of EU migrants resident in the UK and the EU, and British citizens living in the EU, he said.
“Neither should be used as pawns in a complicated chess game which has not even begun.
“We have offered three suggested cut-off dates, and unless the Government makes a decision, the prospect of a ‘surge’ in immigration will increase.”
A Government Spokesperson said: “We have been clear that we want to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if British citizens’ rights in European member states were not protected in return”.
We are about to begin those negotiations and it would be wrong to set out further unilateral positions in advance. But there is clearly no mandate for accepting the free movement of people as it has existed up until now”.
Reading between the lines, one can deduce the strong likelihood that the home office will covertly begin to restrict the rights of EU nationals arriving in the U.K after last month’s referendum to claim residence there.
This will in turn cause EU countries to accordingly behave the same way to British nationals wanting to claim residency in the EU, in the process making relations ever so tense.
Featured image- Free Grunge Textures – www.freestock.ca via Foter.com / CC BY
