EU migrants welcome to remain in UK indefinitely as Prime Minister outlines special settled status deal

Prime Minister Theresa May announced today plans to allow EU citizens living in the UK to remain here as residents following Brexit designed to put their "anxiety to rest".

Prime Minister Theresa May

Briefing MP’s in the parliament on the outcome of Friday’s EU summit, Mrs May confirmed that all EU nationals lawfully resident for at least five years will be able to apply for "settled status" and to bring spouses and children, the BBC reports.

EU migrants who arrived after a date yet to be agreed will have two years to "regularise their status" but will not enjoy the same rights.

The government has published a document summarising the UK's offer to EU citizens, which you can read here.

May said she wanted to give reassurance and certainty to the 3.2 million EU citizens living in the UK - in addition to citizens of the three EEA countries and Switzerland – as they are an "integral part of the economic and cultural fabric" of the UK.

However, she wants any deal on their future legal status and rights to be reciprocal and also give certainty to the 1.2 million British expats living on the continent after the UK leaves the EU - expected to be on 29 March 2019.

This promise could prove difficult to keep, as EU countries, such as France and Spain, already have less advantageous conditions for British expats than offered to EU citizens living and working in the UK. 

For instance, retired Brits are now facing the bleak prospect of paying for expensive health insurance or jumping on an Easyjet flight home every time they need treatment. This option could become closed to them if they are no longer resident in the UK.

The main points of the UK's proposal to EU citizens are:

• EU migrants granted settled status will be able to live, work, study and claim benefits as they can now
• The important cut-off date for eligibility will be no earlier than 29 March 2017 and no later than 29 March 2019
• EU family members of EU citizens living abroad will be allowed to return and apply for settled status
• Those EU nationals in the UK for less than five years at the specified date will be allowed to continue living and working in the UK and once resident for five years, they can apply for settled status
• Migrants arriving after the cut-off point will be able to stay temporarily, however, they should have "no expectation" that they will be granted permanent residence
• A period of "blanket residence permission" with less of the onerous requirements may apply to give officials time to process applications to stay in the UK
• The Home Office will no longer request evidence that EU citizens who weren't working held "comprehensive sickness insurance"

Those granted settled status, which is the same as ‘indefinite leave to remain’ (ILR) or permanent residence, will be "treated as if they were UK citizens for healthcare, benefits and pensions".

Mrs May added that the process of application – currently an 85-page form - would be simplified and a "light touch" approach applied to EU citizens, although she did say that criminal record checks will still be carried out when pressed by opposition MP's. 

Non-EU citizens will continue to endure the ever-changing lengthy Home Office forms and increasing high fees in order to gain indefinite leave to remain in the UK.  

"Under these plans, no EU citizen currently in the UK lawfully will be asked to leave at the point the UK leaves the EU," Mrs May said.

The widely expected plan should be good news for migrants worried about their post-Brexit status in the UK. Since Britons voted to leave the EU last year there has been a sharp increase in applications for ILR and UK citizenship. It has been suggested that those who have already obtained ILR may still have to apply for settled status.

Croatian citizens are currently subject to a 7 year restriction - similar to those imposed on previous EU entrants Bulgaria and Romania - on working from the date Croatia joined the EU.

Despite fears that hundreds of thousands or European citizens living here would return home, most seem to have remained as they have already made their life in the UK either running businesses or holding down good jobs.

UK property prices have started to fall slightly following the Brexit vote and recent general election which saw the Conservatives lose their overall majority.

See also:

UK election splits the country and calls for a softer Brexit approach

Cyprus, the fastest route to EU citizenship and European passports for you and your family

Fines issued to landlords under right-to-rent offences

Turn Your Passion into Profit

EU migrants welcome to remain in UK indefinitely as Prime Minister outlines special settled status deal

Prime Minister Theresa May announced today plans to allow EU citizens living in the UK to remain here as residents following Brexit designed to put their "anxiety to rest".

Briefing MP’s in the parliament on the outcome of Friday’s EU summit, Mrs May confirmed that all EU nationals lawfully resident for at least five years will be able to apply for "settled status" and to bring spouses and children, the BBC reports.

EU migrants who arrived after a date yet to be agreed will have two years to "regularise their status" but will not enjoy the same rights.

The government has published a document summarising the UK's offer to EU citizens, which you can read here.

May said she wanted to give reassurance and certainty to the 3.2 million EU citizens living in the UK - in addition to citizens of the three EEA countries and Switzerland – as they are an "integral part of the economic and cultural fabric" of the UK.

However, she wants any deal on their future legal status and rights to be reciprocal and also give certainty to the 1.2 million British expats living on the continent after the UK leaves the EU - expected to be on 29 March 2019.

This promise could prove difficult to keep, as EU countries, such as France and Spain, already have less advantageous conditions for British expats than offered to EU citizens living and working in the UK. 

For instance, retired Brits are now facing the bleak prospect of paying for expensive health insurance or jumping on an Easyjet flight home every time they need treatment. This option could become closed to them if they are no longer resident in the UK.

The main points of the UK's proposal to EU citizens are:

• EU migrants granted settled status will be able to live, work, study and claim benefits as they can now
• The important cut-off date for eligibility will be no earlier than 29 March 2017 and no later than 29 March 2019
• EU family members of EU citizens living abroad will be allowed to return and apply for settled status
• Those EU nationals in the UK for less than five years at the specified date will be allowed to continue living and working in the UK and once resident for five years, they can apply for settled status
• Migrants arriving after the cut-off point will be able to stay temporarily, however, they should have "no expectation" that they will be granted permanent residence
• A period of "blanket residence permission" with less of the onerous requirements may apply to give officials time to process applications to stay in the UK
• The Home Office will no longer request evidence that EU citizens who weren't working held "comprehensive sickness insurance"

Those granted settled status, which is the same as ‘indefinite leave to remain’ (ILR) or permanent residence, will be "treated as if they were UK citizens for healthcare, benefits and pensions".

Mrs May added that the process of application – currently an 85-page form - would be simplified and a "light touch" approach applied to EU citizens, although she did say that criminal record checks will still be carried out when pressed by opposition MP's. 

Non-EU citizens will continue to endure the ever-changing lengthy Home Office forms and increasing high fees in order to gain indefinite leave to remain in the UK.  

"Under these plans, no EU citizen currently in the UK lawfully will be asked to leave at the point the UK leaves the EU," Mrs May said.

The widely expected plan should be good news for migrants worried about their post-Brexit status in the UK. Since Britons voted to leave the EU last year there has been a sharp increase in applications for ILR and UK citizenship. It has been suggested that those who have already obtained ILR may still have to apply for settled status.

Croatian citizens are currently subject to a 7 year restriction - similar to those imposed on previous EU entrants Bulgaria and Romania - on working from the date Croatia joined the EU.

Despite fears that hundreds of thousands or European citizens living here would return home, most seem to have remained as they have already made their life in the UK either running businesses or holding down good jobs.

UK property prices have started to fall slightly following the Brexit vote and recent general election which saw the Conservatives lose their overall majority.

See also:

UK election splits the country and calls for a softer Brexit approach

Cyprus, the fastest route to EU citizenship and European passports for you and your family

Fines issued to landlords under right-to-rent offences

Turn Your Passion into Profit

Pop star Lily Allen in NHS immigration spat on Twitter after her two-year-old daughter had to wait to see a doctor at A&E

Singer songwriter Lily Allen has once again got involved in a public dispute on social media, this time over an argument about immigration after criticising NHS cuts after her daughter's wait at accident and emergency (A&E), the Daily Mail reports.

Lily Allen

Lily, 31-year-old said she took her two-year-old daughter, Marnie, to hospital after she impaled her neck on railings, but was put out when they had to wait  (like the rest of us) despite having a serious injury.

Then Allen, who launched her career on social media sites, such as My Space (remember them?). got into an online row with a Twitter user who blamed the NHS wait on immigration.

A Twitter user, - Twitter handle is @Trumpskins2016 - tweeted that Ms Allen did not care about 'preserving' English heritage because she is rich. 

Lily, who has 5.9 million followers on Twitter handle +Lily Allen, picked up the tweet and hit back: 'What do you mean when you speak of heritage, and also how you have come to the conclusion that money gets in the way of caring about it? '

The user, who must have been ecstatic to receive a reply, escalated the argument: 'You're rich so the impact of mass immigration doesn't effect you. People have been saying this to you over and over again.'

Lily defended her stance: 'I doubt it's fault of immigrants that you can't get someone to procreate with you. If that is the type of heritage you are referring to.' 

The user came back with: 'like to see how Lily would react to tons of immigrants being moved to the area she lives.'

Lily revealed that she lived in London near 'lots of immigrants' and had 'no problems'.

On her Twitter feed Lily says she lives near Greeks, Japanese and Scandinavians.

Specifically pointing to her daughter's hospital wait, the user then said: 'The UK is overcrowded. Liberals like yourself have allowed it to happen.'

Lily wrote: 'My daughter wasn't seen because the hospital, like most in the UK, are understaffed because of cuts, not because of immigrants.' 

Lily said that she has seen the decline in the NHS and added that the number of midwife visits has gone down.

The mother-of-three added: 'I've seen its decline. When I had my first baby, the midwife came every day.

'Only three years into a Tory government we had one visit. It was pretty bad. It's horrendous.' 

Lily has previously criticised the NHS four years ago after she claimed she had received lack of attention when she gave birth to Marnie, who was two at the time of the 2015 incident.

Writing on Twitter: 'After speaking to the Brent midwifery team at 7 this morning, I was told to stay in all day and someone would be over to weigh my baby and do a jaundice assessment.

'Waited all day, and nothing, not even a phone call.'

She told followers: 'I don't mean to moan and I know how over stretched the health service is. But I can't help but think about how mothers with less support, both financially and emotionally are meant to cope.' 

The NHS, which is barely out of the news, would probably not be able to function without migrant workers in every department. Nurses are still being recruited from the EU and countries like India and the Philippines.

In other news, the EU Brexit bill is proceeding after a stumbling block in the House of Lords and Prime Minister Theresa May could trigger the 'Article 50' official leaving process this month.

Three million EU nationals living in the UK are still unsure of their fate, prompting thousands of European migrants to apply for indefinite leave to remain and UK citizenship.

Most I speak to have no intention of leaving and plan to settle in the UK. Unlike many EU countries, the UK has jobs, unrestricted access to healthcare and welfare and jobs.

See also:

UK net migration drops but immigration from Romania and Bulgaria soars

Minimum £18,600 income for foreign spouses lawful "in principle", Supreme Court rules

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Free CD SET - UK BUY TO LET BOOM 

Half a million EU migrants may be forced to leave UK post Brexit think tank claims

Half a million migrants from the EU, could be forced to leave Britain following the Brexit completion process, according to Laura Hughes, Political Correspondent for The Telegraph.

In a study by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) it was revealed that 590,000 EU nationals living in the UK may not meet strict residency requirements in order to automatically qualify for the indefinite leave to remain, assuming Article 50 is triggered next year and Britain leaves the EU by 2019.

There are over 3.5 million EU citizens currently living in the UK – three times the population of Birmingham, Britain’s second largest City and half of London’s population – but more than 80% should retain the right to remain in the UK having resided here for five. 

There are unconfirmed reports of a leap in applications for British Citizenship following the Brexit vote in June, as nervous EU migrants rush to secure their stay in the UK.

Prime Minister Theresa May is under pressure to deliver the Brexit will of 17 million voters, and many on the right of the party want EU citizens lose their free movement rights to live in the UK. Mrs May has previously reassured 800,000 Poles living in the UK that she “wants and expects” them to remain in the country after Brexit.

According to SMF figures, 3.55 million EU citizens are resident in the UK, with 1,660,000 coming from the so-called EU14, those countries that were part of the EU before 2004. The remaining 1.5 million come from the eight Eastern European nations that joined 12 years ago.

Many Bulgarians, Romanians and Croatians, who joined after 2007, could miss the cut, having already been subjected to seven year restrictions on working in the UK after becoming EU citizens. Croatia is the newest member of the EU, but its citizens face an uphill struggle to exercise free movement of labour rights in many EU partner countries, including the UK. See Update for Croatians who want to work or study in the UK. 

More clarity will come once the negotiations begin with these countries and the EU as a whole.

Despite the fact that the UK hardly ever features in the top 10 lists of best places to live, everybody seems to want to live here! Half a million EU citizens are not going to leave the UK, unless they have better prospects and living conditions in their own country, even if they do not qualify for a UK passport.

There are an estimated million migrants living in the UK illegally who are not budging despite the best efforts of the Home Office to find and deport them, so the idea that the government is going to have the will to force 500,000 EU citizens to leave is pie in the sky.

Much of the UK's vital services, such as the NHS, could not operate without immigrant workers, although anti-immigration organisations like Migration Watch would argue that we would not need so many nurses and doctors if the migrant population fell.

Millions of UK citizens live in other EU countries, such as France and Spain, most of whom are retired, own their own properties and not dependent on local jobs. 

It is extremely unlikely that even the most arrogant French politician would want to expel hundreds of thousands of Brits, who contribute to their flagging economy and help prop up the French housing market.

Conflicting reports and predictions from so-called experts are emerging about the effects of Brexit on the UK economy. In the meantime, life goes on and the falling pound has attracted more UK visitors and investors.

The Bank of England voted to cut base interest rates from .5 to .25% today, and pump more money into the economy by quantitative easing - printing money to you and me!

If you are still stuck or unable to migrate, have you considered working from home or setting up a home-based business? Anyone can now set up a home based Internet business working from home or selling goods online. Companies like Amazon, eBay and Upwork offer everyone an opportunity to earn a living and even make a fortune working from home and living the laptop lifestyle.

It has never been as easy as it is right now to set up an online business. I work from home. In the past, you needed a lots of technical knowledge and skills to set up websites and marketing ability to work online. Now there are companies which do it all for you.

The internet has opened up a whole new world of learning, working, socialising and doing business. We no longer need to go back to school or university to learn new skills. We can work from home, start a business or find a new life partner all from the comfort of our home.

At the click of a mouse, you can now find everything from a short instructional video to a full degree course online. If you would like more information on a free course on how to survive and thrive in the digital economy revolution and discover the truth about how to make money online, click here.