Key expat rights vanish from Brexit negotiations

The two sides have put out the fourth of a series of tables comparing their positions on expat rights – which now for the first time shows uniform agreement on everything.

This is partly due to the parties coming to agreement on some of the disputed areas, however closer inspection shows that some contentious items have just been dropped – notably the right of British expats to maintain full free movement in the EU for life and to vote in local elections where they live.

The former relates, for example, to a British person now living in France who wants to move to Spain at a later date, as well as potentially the right to do work without restrictions in other EU states.

These areas were ones in which the UK was previously pushing for greater rights for British expats than the EU was willing to concede.

Connexion will be following this up further in our January edition out next week.

There is still time to subscribe and receive the issue in the post until tomorrow at midnight at connexionfrance.com