Fight is on to protect expat rights as UK presses article 50 trigger

Reportedly the UK’s ambassador to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow, will hand a letter – signed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May last night – to European Council president Donald Tusk, starting a two-year process of negotiations before the UK leaves. At the same time Mrs May will make a statement to the UK parliament.

The European Parliament’s chief negotiator is Guy Verhofstadt of the ALDE liberals and democrats parliamentary group, and a spokesman told Connexion Mr Verhofstadt is now ‘fighting’ to include in a draft resolution by the parliament an offer of voluntary ‘associate EU citizenship’ for Britons who want it after Brexit.

It could ensure Britons who opt for it maintain essential rights to live and work in their countries of residence.

The resolution is expected to be debated and voted on by the parliament next week, setting out its position for the article 50 ‘divorce’ negotiations between the UK and EU. Although the parliament is just one of the parties to these negotiations – the European Council and the European Commission will take leading roles – it will send out a strong message if it officially backs the plan.

The proposal backed by Mr Verhofstadt is that Britons could remain EU citizens on an individual, opt-in, basis, via an annual subscription, even if the UK leaves. He is trying to achieve a ‘broad majority’ with MEPs from other parliamentary groups such as the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the S&D social democrats, the greens and the GUE socialists. Associate citizenship would not be an alternative to any rights agreed in the UK-EU negotiations for all Britons in the EU, but in addition to them.

Mr Verhofstadt is also reported in the UK press to have said MEPs will seek to block any Brexit deal that does not protect the right to live and work in the UK of EU citizens who move there up until the UK leaves. The parliament and the commission’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier are said to be concerned by rumours that the UK might seek to set today – March 29, 2017, as a ‘cut-off date’.

Also today, the British in Europe coalition of 12 expat campaign groups across the EU reports it has held a meeting with Mr Barnier.

“We were very heartened by the determination of Michel Barnier in our meeting with him yesterday in Brussels, to put our rights first in the negotiations," said coalition member Fiona Godfrey, from Luxembourg.

The coalition says in a statement existing rights of Britons who already live in the EU and of EU citizens in the UK must be guaranteed as the first priority once negotiations start, to “quickly release them from ongoing suffering and uncertainty”. The matter should be dealt with separately from other issues, such as the money the UK owes the EU or the future trading relationship.

They add Brexit “must not affect individuals retrospectively” and that protecting their rights is “just and moral” and “the simplest and fairest solution”.

Ms Godrey said: “If UK politicians disagree, and given that the government insists any future arrangement will be reciprocal, then Mrs May must explain to the electorate exactly which rights she believes over one million UK citizens currently residing in the EU should be deprived of after Brexit.”