As we already know, on the 29th of March 2019, the United Kingdom will no longer be part of the European Union.
But how will it affect the Europeans who live there?
What do I have to do to be able to continue residing and working in the United Kingdom?
There are plans of a transition period that will last 21 months, from the 29th of March 2019 to the 31st of December 2021, with the purpose of maintaining the rights of European immigrants during that time.
The British Government published the online procedure that European citizens living in the United Kingdom must follow during the transition period to qualify for the status of settled or pre-settled, depending on whether they have been living there more or less than five years.
Once granted, the applicant can continue living indefinitely and be treated as a British citizen in terms of health care, education, benefits and pensions.
The procedure will be fairly simple and fast and you just have to prove your identity, prove that you are a resident of the United Kingdom, confirm that you do not have serious criminal records and pay 65 pounds.
British diplomacy is trying to lay the foundations of an agreement with the other EU member states. All the proposals of the United Kingdom show the desire to maintain the instruments of cooperation within the EU as far as possible.
If there is no final agreement, the two-year transition period requested by London will not be possible, it will proceed according to the much more limited instruments of the conventions of the Europe Council and the Hague Conference, which means the Brexit and its consequences will advance considerably.
The worst consequences of a Brexit without agreement with the EU are without a doubt:
The situation is very complicated as the government of the United Kingdom and the European Union must chart a new course of separation and autonomy. We can only wait and hopefully the agreement will be the widest and most beneficial for both parties.
Written by Carmen García.
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