Tom Bradby described the limited options facing Leave and Remain politicians (The clock's ticking ES 30/10/2017) as a possible breakdown of negotiations with no deal looms ever closer. Yet one option does remain, a concession that even Brexiteers should buy, and one which could break the ice with the most intransigent body in the EU - the European Parliament - which has the final veto over any Withdrawal Agreement..
I suggest that, while the money issue will be subject to hard bargaining, on the issue of EU citizens' rights the UK government could go much further than their barren "settled status" project which leaves vulnerable EU citizens and their children subject to the UK's notorious Immigration rules as interpreted by whatever immigration officer takes up their case. In the last 2 years the Home Office has been softening up EU citizens with expulsions, instructions to the NHS to charge for services and threats to employers and landlords which makes them reluctant to offer jobs or homes to foreigners, whether EU or not. This has undermined Europe's faith in any unilateral UK promises on EU citizens.
The UK government should reverse that and make concrete what it has been promising all along, namely, a secure future for all 3.2 million EU citizens, with no attempt to divide their families,.and confirmation by registration of their current status either as life long permanent residents or, in the case of those employed less than 5 years, registration as temporary residents. Furthermore the UK government should guarantee this finite group protection under an international agreement recognized and maintained jointly by both the European Court of Justice and the UK Supreme Court. This same body would also protect the rights of UK citizens in Europe.
All along Leave campaigners have been repeating the mantra that all EU citizens currently here should be "safe" and allowed to stay. Two weeks ago Boris Johnson repeated this at a meeting with Polish community leaders. Only by such an international guarantee can this promise be kept. It would also have the added advantage of making the European Parliament keen to press for a special deal that would confirm this agreed new status for its citizens.
Yours faithfully,
Wiktor Moszczynski
No comments:
Post a Comment