PM to spell out 'settled status' plan for EU nationals in UK after Brexit
The Brexit Secretary says EU nationals in the UK would "effectively" have the same rights as British citizens post-Brexit.
Monday 26 June 2017 14:17, UK
Full details of the Government's post-Brexit "settled status" that will be offered to EU nationals in the UK will be published later.
The plan guarantees permanent rights on residency, healthcare, education, employment, benefits and pensions for 3.2 million EU citizens who have been in the UK for five years.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said full details of the proposals would be set out in a 15-page document on Monday, after EU leaders reacted dismissively to outlines of the plan revealed by Theresa May last week.
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Mr Davis insisted the residency rights package for EU nationals would "effectively" give them the same rights as British citizens.
He said he did not expect any EU nationals to be deported unless there were security issues or they had committed a crime.
EU nationals applying for visas to come to the UK after withdrawal will be subject to the same criminality checks as other foreigners as part of the Brexit settlement.
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Mr Davis said the cut-off point for EU nationals being resident in the UK to be eligible for the rights package would fall somewhere between Article 50 being triggered in March this year and Britain's leaving date of March 2019.
He said there would be a "fight" in Brexit negotiations over any role for the European Court of Justice in overseeing the rights of residents.
Mrs May's offer on residency rights was branded "a first step, but not sufficient" by the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, at an EU summit last week.
The Prime Minister told EU leaders that no matter what was agreed on the cut-off date, there would be no "cliff edge" for any EU citizen lawfully resident in the UK on the actual day of Brexit.
Everyone would be given a two-year "grace period" to "regularise their status under new laws", she said.