If you made your life here, why didn't you become a British citizen?

[DorothyL]

How do you respond to that as an EU citizen?

I came to the UK in 98. I never applied for British citizenship because I didn't see the need - I truly felt that the fact we were all EU meant it didn't matter!

Now I'm scared because in spite of being here so long I would probably not qualify for a permanent residency card because I wasn't working (SAHM/carer).

Wish I knew what will happen

It won't be tough shit though will it? The rights of EU citizens will be retained.

"I personally think, like a prev poster suggested, if you like it you should put a ring on it & if you don't it's tough shit."

But they didn't need to legally until very recently did they? So why would you?

Anyway, the more nasty little posters like you post the more I'm going to enjoy laughing at you when none of what you want comes to pass.

Some of the posts on this thread make me thoroughly ashamed to be British.

All the EU citizens I know in this country are real assets to the UK. The idea that it's better for the country to treat them like shit and/or force them to leave is ludicrous.

The rights of EU citizens will be retained.

What makes you so sure of this? I am not convinced myself. Pragmatism might just win with Theresa May in that we need the EU citizens here, but I am not even convinced of that, because she appears to be so prejudiced.

All the EU citizens I know in this country are real assets to the UK. The idea that it's better for the country to treat them like shit and/or force them to leave is ludicrous.

Quite so, running through the names of EU citizens that I know they are all working in health care, medical or scientific research or teaching. I can't think of one who isn't making a contribution to the country.

"It won't be tough shit though will it? The rights of EU citizens will be retained. "

Do you have a time machine or the ability to see into the future?

This is not part of any government policy that has been announced.

Government policy is "Brexit Means Brexit" in order to avoid meaningful discussion of what it means or what the hoped-for arrangements will or might be.

No, we have moved on from 'Brexit means Brexit' - it's now going to be a 'Red, White and Blue Brexit.

I think Trying you must live in a very small and restricted world but don't try to impose it on others. You still haven't really explained what sort of commitment you require from thoese of us who say we have lived here for decades and have build our lives here. Why is it so important to you that we become fully British even when we explain that this might mean giving up our citizenship from our birth country. Plenty of people have ties to more than one country and I think that's a good thing. I think Teresa May is a walking disaster at the moment. i watch from behind my pillow too scared to watch what she will do next.

Yes. The phrase 'red, white and blue brexit' appears to be a substitute for actual policy at the moment.

Piglet, its fairly obvious what will happen.

All of the posturing by the government is just that, posturing.

As I've said Brexit will end up being somewhat of a damp squib, with most brexiteers left feeling very disappointed.

Presumably "Red, White and Blue Brexit" means we're going to give automatic residency rights to just the French, Dutch and (trying desperately to remember without Googling here!) Czechs then?

and the Poles :)

Immigration policies are by definition blunt. To get it right in individual cases, you need a lot of time to process which creates bottlenecks that in itself are harmful.

Is it better to welcome whole groups of people with open arms and take the risk of or try to manage the bad apples that get through OR subject immigrants to a filtering process that requires time and cost to implement with the risk of starving the economy of talent in the meantime and turning off world-class talent with all the bureaucracy.

Darth, I agree with you. It will end up being much ado about nothing which short term is likely to weaken the economy and the Tories will pounce and attack the welfare system and NHS even further. Brexit unfortunately is most likely to hit the Brexiters. Two of my Brexit friends have lost their jobs as a direct result of Brexit already. Didn't see that coming D'oh!

Two of my Brexit friends have lost their jobs as a direct result of Brexit already. Didn't see that coming D'oh!

Do they blame Brexit, which after all, hasn't happened yet, or are they putting it down to other causes?

"Piglet, its fairly obvious what will happen."

It's lovely that you have your own fantasy of what will happen. Lots of other Quitters also have their own fantasy of what will happen.

Unfortunately they are not all the same.

This was a key point of the Out campaign; to avoid saying what it meant so that people would vote for their own interpretation.

Is the Polish flag not just red and white Darth? Perhaps not full residency but preferential treatment for them, the Austrians and the Greeks?

John I think you have me confused with someone else.

I'm really confident that EU nationals will be granted indefinite right to remain. There will be some fudge about people who arrived in the last two years, like they had to have been in full time employment/study for the majority of that time.

Those who are eagerly awaiting an exodus will be disappointed.

"I'm really confident that EU nationals will be granted indefinite right to remain"

maybe they will, but nobody knows for sure.

It will be reciprocal. There are about 1.2 million Brits living in the EU, and hundreds of thousands more who own homes and spend periods of the year out there.

We aren't going to trade one group of people for another.

I'm really confident that EU nationals will be granted indefinite right to remain.
After a lot of shilly shallying maybe, when people just don't know where they are.

Peregrina, they understand it is down to Brexit. I don't discuss Brexit with them really, butnthe reason they voted Brexit was that too many muslims rock up at Dover and are given massive houses in Kensington for free

Darth - a good question is, how much more do (other) EU citizens contribute to the UK as opposed to UK-EU citizens contributing to the other countries? How much of a contribution are the British citizens on the Costas contributing to the Spanish economy? They must obviously be contributing something because they will be purchasing food, and household goods, but how much else?

EU citizens will only he granted any rights if British citizens in Europe will be granted their rights, and it seems from political rhetoric that's probably not going to be the case in all EU countries. I don't see it changing for France/Germany - both countries are trying to expand their banking sectors off the back of Brexit, and at the moment the most experienced senior bankers are (if not British) then London based so some carrots will def come into play here.

I think the biggest changes will be for non-EU migrants. They are currently the ones required either to to have a job (and often a degree) and earn a minimum salary to avoid invalidating their visas, or be studying and allowed to work for a maximum number of hours & all without access to benefits until they get indef leave/perm residency. India and China have already been 'promised' an increase in student visas post-Brexit in the most general terms, the UK could easily increase the numbers of 'highly skilled' work permits there too. That could really impact post-Brexit!immigration into the UK, as EU migrants and British citizens will have to compete with (often more highly skilled on paper) Asian migrants for a wider variety of jobs.

The EU will grant Brits the right to remain there too, its in their interest, as is granting EU rights to stay here.

Its just a political sop right now to let people think others are going home. part of May's attempts to win the UKIP vote.

BTW one of the reasons that May's trip to India wasn't a success is that she said there would be no relaxing of the visas for Indian nationals or students.