DT News - UK - Rights of EU citizens after the Brexit: An unresolved issue

Amanda Maskery, UK

Wed. 31 May 2017

save

Through the UK’s impending exit from the European Union, much uncertainty has been created around the position of EU citizens in the country, including those who currently work in the health care sector. After the result of last year’s referendum, in which the UK voted to leave the EU, the formal process of withdrawal duly began when Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon was invoked in March. The wave of negotiations for the Brexit is now underway.

EU member states have called for the rights of their citizens to be protected and have sought assurances from the UK to that effect. The government’s immediate and continuing response has been to state that rights for EU citizens will be determined in the Brexit negotiations, along with everything else to be considered.

Of course, this will raise serious concerns for the millions of EU citizens living in the UK, and indeed the millions of UK citizens living in the EU. Both groups of people currently face uncertainty until their position is determined through the conclusion of negotiations, the timescale for which is unknown.

The right to work and live in an EU member state derives from the free movement of persons, a fundamental treaty right. When the UK leaves the EU, on terms yet to be determined, the risk does exist that the free movement of persons will be lost, unless it can be negotiated to the satisfaction of both the UK government and the remaining EU member states. Any deal on the free movement of persons for the benefit of the UK will require a commitment to the EU by the UK on preserving the rights of EU citizens currently residing in the UK and will no doubt require a commitment that the UK will allow the future free movement of persons.

After the impending UK general election on 8 June, the next prime minister will have the unenviable task of undertaking the Brexit negotiations. Naturally, EU citizens will be concerned as to what deal will be secured on a host of matters, immigration being but one. Until the negotiations have been finalised, EU citizens who have lived in the UK for at least five years may have the option of British citizenship, should they wish to seek it.

A British citizen has the right to permanently live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions; this is otherwise known as a right of abode. Under the current British citizenship rules, those aged 18 and over and of good character who meet the knowledge of English and life in the UK requirements and who have lived in the UK for five years before the date of their application can apply to become a British citizen. Such persons can apply on behalf of children younger than 18 (and those children do not need to pass any tests).

For EU citizens seeking some certainty and control over their future, an application for British citizenship may be the immediate answer.

To post a reply please login or register

Eurostat figures add to concerns over shortages after Brexit

LUXEMBOURG: Despite some growth in the overall dental workforce within the last five years, the UK still has one of the lowest ratios of dentists per capita...

BSPD launches ‘Rights from the Start’ initiative

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) new ‘Rights from the Start’ initiative will shine a spotlight on children and young people’s ...

Bad teeth impair well-being of ten million UK citizens

BRISTOL, UK: A recently published study conducted by the UK dentistry group Oasis Dental Care has revealed that almost one third of the UK adult population ...

Capitalising on digitisation with the right strategy

KOBLACH, Austria: Digitisation can bring dental technicians and dentists closer together. How new opportunities arising from this interdisciplinary approach...

Bien-Air and Wrights partner in the UK

BIRMINGHAM, UK: Wrights and Bien-Air Dental last week announced an exclusive partnership at the Dentistry Show in Birmingham in the UK. The British dental ...

Brexit—What can dentistry expect?

Time flies, doesn’t it? It seemed that the British government and the EU had all the time in the world to agree to terms for leaving and a potential ...

"Diabetes shouldn’t be an issue for the child, but it requires discipline from the parents"

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: November is diabetes awareness month at Curaden Academy. Diabetes mellitus is the third most common chronic disease in children and ...

European Medicines Agency leaves London ahead of Brexit

LONDON, UK: A key European Union agency responsible for the monitoring of medicines for dental and medical patients has relocated its headquarters from ...

Survey demonstrates UK doctors’ negative opinion of Brexit

LONDON, UK: More than two years after a national referendum resulted in the UK electorate voting to leave the EU, Brexit remains entrenched in the ...

Report highlights views and intentions of EEA-qualified dental professionals regarding Brexit

LONDON, UK: With Brexit still set to take place on 29 March of this year, understanding its potential impact on the British dental workforce is of paramount...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 29 April 2024
5:30 pm UTC (London)