Fate of EU Migrants in UK Rests on Final Step to Brexit

Fate of EU Migrants in UK Rests on Final Step to Brexit
A Union Jack flag flutters in front of the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben in London, England on Feb. 1, 2017. Jack Taylor/Getty Images
Simon Veazey
Simon Veazey
Freelance Reporter
|Updated:

BIRMINGHAM, England—The fate of 2.9 million European Union nationals who migrated to the United Kingdom now rests on a final legislative skirmish that will see Britain leave the EU.

As Britain lurches toward leaving the EU, a last-ditch move by the Parliament’s House of Lords could force the government to guarantee permanent residency to the 5 percent of the population that comes from EU countries.

Brexit—the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union—is a complicated affair that begins with invoking Article 50, an EU treaty clause that triggers divorce proceedings and kickstarts a two-year settlement negotiation.

On Feb. 8, members of the British Parliament (MPs) overwhelmingly granted the government permission to invoke Article 50, in a simple bill without caveats. This “carte blanche” for negotiations infuriated many “Remainers” (those who voted to stay in the EU), in part because it offered no guarantees to EU migrants.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and British Prime Minister Theresa May in Valletta, Malta, on Feb. 3. The United Kingdom can enter formal negotiations to exit the European Union once the U.K.'s House of Lords passes a Brexit bill currently under review. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and British Prime Minister Theresa May in Valletta, Malta, on Feb. 3. The United Kingdom can enter formal negotiations to exit the European Union once the U.K.'s House of Lords passes a Brexit bill currently under review. Leon Neal/Getty Images
Simon Veazey
Simon Veazey
Freelance Reporter
Simon Veazey is a UK-based journalist who has reported for The Epoch Times since 2006 on various beats, from in-depth coverage of British and European politics to web-based writing on breaking news.
twitter