Some one at the Home Office hasn't thought this through properly

[liberia03]

Wondering if we could have a compassionate thread about UK mothers being told by they may have to leave the country, despite having brought up families here.
www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/14/dutchwoman-resident-in-uk-for-30-years-may-have-to-leave-after-brexit

[Northernlurker]

You're right the home office haven't thought it through but it will definitely get sorted out. Eu spouses are a pretty sizeable number and generally a pretty articulate one. They are not going to be deported. Compassion is probably needed more for Eu families who've come here in the last ten years simply to work. They are far more likely to run in to issues.

[BlueberryGateaux]

I think its pretty clear the government haven't thought anything through pertaining to this absolute shambles.

[liberia03]

Hope you're right Northerlurker, that they won't be deported. Do you think unwaged carers really will be allowed to stay? I hope so, her husband is ill and they need to stay near NHS. She's been here for 30 years and has 3 children here, but has no health insurance, I think. The health insurance seems to be the thing that gets them threatened with deportation. I wonder if British ex pats in Europe are to be deported if they don't have health insurance.

[PatsysPyjamas]

I am hoping the government is just using this as a bargaining tool for EU negotiations, but will eventually guarantee that anyone already in this country can stay (and would hope the same for UK citizens living in EU). I am sure it would be far too disruptive to society to do otherwise.

[Wolpertinger]

It's absolutely terrifying. My elderly mother has been here since the late 60s. She doesn't even have a passport from her home country. Never got British nationality as we never had the money and frankly, she didn't need to.

Now faced with an 85 page form asking a load of questions she doesn't know the answer to and wanting documents that were long ago thrown away when she retired.

She's panic stricken. And when I mention it to friends I find loads are married to EU nationals who haven't 'exercised their treaty rights' so wouldn't have right to remain either.

It's a complete disaster.

[liberia03]

Wolpertinger

[PencilsInSpace]

Sadly I think they have thought it through - their basic aim seems to be to make things as awkward and difficult as possible for migrants wanting to settle, wherever they are from.

Her husband Patrick, 67, told Wollaston that he believed the CSI rule was a “deliberate trap” designed to prevent EU citizens applying for British citizenship.

I think he is correct.

I was astonished to discover that it's easier to settle as an EU spouse of someone from elsewhere in the EU than as an EU spouse of a British Citizen.

[Unescorted]

We are being used as bargining chips including ROI residents who's residency is enshrined in a 1948 Act that pre dates EU residency rights brought in with the Maastricht treaty.

I am not sure how much pressure we can bring on polititians in our "home" countries - most of us are unable to vote as we have been out of the country for so long.

Unfortunately this shambolic "negotiation" leaves a high risk that the dummies will be thrown out of thhe pram. I do not share your optimism and am planning accordingly.

[roseshippy]

There is no rule yet.

All they are doing is telling people to prepare for the worst.

You can't tell people 'yes you can 100% stay' and then backtrack on that.

[TheMartiansAreInvadingUs]

Honestly??

When the new rules for immigration cam einto place last year, they've had no issue sending married women away like this.
Only they were non EU citizens and no one bothered to talk about it.

Now that's it's about EU citizens and there are plenty of people who are married to britsih partners and have dcs, it's suddenly becoming a news.
Unfortunately , it's just the same old and what Britain has historically done several times now.

Why the surprise?

[liberia03]

Unescorted does that mean that even ROI residents here have their residency status under threat? What about all the business they bring to this country?!

[liberia03]

TheMartiansAreInvadingUs that's a good point, especially as there are so many of those awful immigration detention centres all around the country. It's an issue of race, I suppose, and now it's affecting everyone.

[PencilsInSpace]

There's quite a good petition here on reforming the PR card process.

[AnnieAnoniMouse]

I was born here, all my family were. I don't have anyone I'd need to worry about, should this happen.

I voted to leave.

But you will hear me loud & clear should they try to do this. It's not what the people of this country want, the government will be told, loud & clear.

Right now they need to get a good deal for our people living abroad, negotiation can be brutal, but it will get sorted & people who have lived here for many years will not be turfed out. Try not to worry 💐

[DebbieDownersGiveItARest]

I wonder if British ex pats in Europe are to be deported if they don't have health insurance

Each country has a different set up, I remember in the Ref debates a gentleman who lived and retired in Spain said he had to come back to UK as Spain would not allow him to freely access the cancer care he needed. In other places like Malta they won't treat you if you don't show insurance first, (from bitter experience I know this DF needed emergency care he was bleeding out). In France you will have lengthy - depending on your command of French and the admins command of English discussion about your personal details - before they will treat you ( whilst they treated my daughter). So its not joined up coherent free access like the NHS is across the EU by any means, each country has very different criteria.

[BlueberryGateaux]

And how the fuck do you know that Annie?

[PotteringAlong]

But you will hear me loud & clear should they try to do this. It's not what the people of this country want, the government will be told, loud & clear.

They were. You did tell them. If you didn't want it you should have voted remain.

[liberia03]

But you will hear me loud & clear should they try to do this. It's not what the people of this country want, the government will be told, loud & clear
Thanks Annie do you mean the deportations are not what leave voters wanted, I'm sure you'r right. I can't believe that any one would want that.

[Coffeethrowtrampbitch]

It is really all pointless as there are as many UK citizens residing in the EU as there are EU citizens residing in the UK.

So they cannot be used as a bargaining chip, given that the EU has exactly the same bargaining chip. They cancel each other out.

It is just more anti EU propaganda to soften people towards a hard Brexit, portraying the many EU citizens living, working and raising families here as a drain on our resources, people we would be better off without.

The reality is the majority contribute to the UK, and if we are forced to swap them for the mainly retired residents of the UK who live overseas, we will be worse off.

[liberia03]

Blueberry I don't believe that all leave voters voted for these threatened deportations. We all came at the referendum with different view points. It's easier to define an enemy rather than a friend.

[BlueberryGateaux]

Maybe not, won't stop fucking peoples lives up though will it. Pottering I agree.

[user1484226561]

why should the home office have thought this through? This situation isn't of their making, and frankly, there are thousand other far more dangerous and urgent issues relating to brexit that have to be resolved first, as a priority.

I think it would be more accurate to say the voters didn't think this through.

[EatSpamAmandaLamb]

Does the Act re people from ROI look in danger?

My sister is from ROI like me but also lives in the UK. She is married to a Dutchman, they have both paid vast amounts of tax here since 1999 and have children in schools and support their local community. I wonder where they stand? Surely they can't have paid into the country for so long and now be shooed away/no longer allowed to use resources like the NHS which they have paid into for years. Surely not?

[Hissy]

Oh how refreshing... The "I voted leave, it all looks more and more and more like it will fuck everything up, but it'll all be sorted out somehow" theory

It's this fucking stupid belief in fairies that boils my piss the most.

They have not got the foggiest fucking idea how to sort this out, Europe literally turned its back on TMay, yet somehow it'll all be ok because someone said so.

[Northernlurker]

ROFL at the leave voter. The Home Office hasn't thought this through and you certainly didn't.