New group will fight for rights of UK nationals in France and EU

A new association pledging to represent the British diaspora in the EU and fight for better rights launches this month. 

European Britons (EB) say they do not wish to “pull the rug up” from under any existing groups supporting Britons abroad but hope to bring something extra to the table. 

For example, British in Europe had wound down after several years defending Withdrawal Agreement Britons’ rights but has new funding to focus on the issue of Britons abroad being able to register to vote in UK elections again after the end of the ‘15-year-rule’. 

EU Britizens, meanwhile, supports legal challenges to (especially WA) Britons’ loss of EU citizenship. 

‘Try and change the basis of our human rights’

EB president Paul Fisher, pictured, said: “We support the other groups’ great work but our unique selling point will be to try to change the basis of our human rights.” 

Mr Fisher, a retired naval officer from Occitanie, said EB will lobby the UK, EU and national parliaments over issues including British MPs and a minister for Britons abroad, and representation for Britons and other non-EU nationals in the EU parliament and local elections. 

It supports better rights generally for residents in EU states who are not nationals or EU citizens and is teaming up with groups led by other nationals, such as Tunisians. 

EB grew out of a webinar series called Thinking Workshops (thinkingworkshops.eu). Look out for information at europeanbritons.eu. 

Mr Fisher can be contacted at president@europeanbritons.eu.

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