To ask if anyone know what happens with EU citizens after brexit

[BlueandYellowandRed]

I'm from an EU country and have been living and working in England for 6 years now.

I just looked into getting British citizenship which apparently cost £1330. It's fine if it comes down to that I'm happy to pay for it. Although might move countries again as kind of started feeling a bit unwelcome here since the whole brexit thing took off.

Anyway I was just looking at the application and it crossed my mind that there must be millions of people in the same shoes as me and I wonder what the plan is for us after brexit?

I'm currently looking at citizenship and it is a lot more than the £1330 just for the application.
It's the English Test (£150), the Life in the UK Test (£50), passport pictures, Permanent Residence Card (£65) etc. it all adds up.

But why would you want citizenship? I'm happy with settled status... And settled I bloody well am after 15yrs and 3 kids :)

@toomuchtooold haha 😂 erm no. My name is the 3 primary colours. Nothing to do with my nationality

I've been here 21 years now. DDs are EU nationals who were born here. We're staying but hedging our bets - not giving up our citizenship (which we would have to do to naturalise) but going for settled status. Ultimately I think their future will lie elsewhere in Europe and I may leave too, though the right is sadly rising everywhere.

With an Irish partner you are relatively fortunate and I'd be looking at going there with him.

I've been here 30 years this year. I'm not interested in citizenship, I'll just stick with the settled status thing if that happens. I'm not going anywhere, this has been my home all my adult life.

Nothing is going to happen to EU citizens who have been here years there's no incentive for the government to suddenly mass deport shit loads of tax payers!

I'm a remainer but seriously, thinking that millions of Italians and German with jobs are suddenly going to be forced to leave is a bit daft.

Settled status (ILR) does not give you the same rights as citizenship though, if you leave the UK for more than 2 years you lose the right to live here. (You may not plan to leave, but in the future you could for example get a job offer in another country or have to return to care for ageing parents, to give just two possible scenarios).

As a non EU citizen with ILR, I also have to join the non EU queue at the airport when I return to the UK (after a holiday for example), fill out a landing card, provide fingerprints, answer questions about how long I have lived here, profession, where I was, what I was doing there...does not exactly make you feel welcome when you are returning to a country you regard as home.

No idea what will happen after Brexit for EU citizens, but if you get issued the same biometric residence card, you would probably also have to go through the same process when returning to the UK after a holiday etc..

I agree buttermilk but not everyone can take British citizenship without losing their birth citizenship (the Netherlands for example, and Germany only with other EU countries which raises a different question!) so it’s not an option for everyone.

Sorry that was really confusingly written but hopefully you get my point

Buttermilk - I wish I could join the non EU queue at the airport!! It's always shorter! :) Husband is non EU but has ILR through me (EU) so we've been told we all have to queue in the EU one.

It's often shorter, in fact when a Ryanair /Easyjet flight lands I can sometimes be the only one in it (then everyone stares at you!) but sometimes a non EU flight (eg from the US) lands just before yours and fills the non EU queue with over 200 people and then you have to join the back of it and can wait for an hour or more.

In that case I'll probably rely on my British kids to skip to the EU/British queue hehe :)

I hope the 52% who voted for the act of economic self-harm never need the services of people such as the OP. To answer the OPs question, the plan if a deal is reached would mean that the OP could continue to work here.

As for passport queues, the Borders Agency are a disgrace, especially at Heathrow. Plane slots and size of planes are known months if not years in advance and there is no excuse for not being able to plan ahead for summer demands. British people have had the right to a paid holiday for over 80 years.

As a non EU citizen with ILR, I also have to join the non EU queue at the airport when I return to the UK (after a holiday for example), fill out a landing card, provide fingerprints, answer questions about how long I have lived here, profession, where I was, what I was doing there...does not exactly make you feel welcome when you are returning to a country you regard as home.
OK. ..and...I had to do the same when living in a different non EU country. I just thought it was par for the course tbh.

In your shoes? I'd be outta here. You have a golden ticket - use it!! I would.

Blueandyellowandred if you and your partner are planning to have DC in future, especially if your partner can get a job in continental Europe fairly easily , then sorry to say I would definitely leave the UK. Your offspring will then have the opportunity to live and work and study in 27 other countries, with the same rights as if they were living in their home country. No chance of that if UK based.

Hey OP, I have been here for 21 years now and I’m going through the process of applying for citizenship. I just can’t tske the risk. I have young (british) children and I can’t take the risk to ever be parted from them and I don’t trust May (who is known for her heartless splitting of families as Home Secretary).
Brexit has broken my heart. I have lived and paid tax here all my adult life. Now people want me to “go home”. I thought I was home

Rafter - her DC will still be able to do that as they'll have her nationality as well as British... My kids are French/British and with a lifelong visa for India. Brexit will not change any of that.
no way will I spend 3k getting citizenship and swearing allegiance to the Queen :) I am home and not planning on moving for the time being :)

OK. ..and...I had to do the same when living in a different non EU country. I just thought it was par for the course tbh.

In fairness UK (specifically English) immigration staff are particularly revolting.

I’m polite, neatly dressed, well spoken and trying to get into the UK is almost always an unpleasant experience facing rude and hostile people.

And I’m white and a native English speaker from a wealthy country! I shudder to think how they treat people of colour and with less ‘desirable’ passports.

Anyway.......

oblada are you sure that's still the case if the op's kids are born in UK though? Will it be guaranteed? If born and educated in most other EU countries, they are guaranteed citizenship of that country on turning 18 I think. Anyway, sorry if I have this wrong!! It's all so confusing!

Ldnmummy (and others) I am so sorry you are going through this and feel that the UK is no longer welcoming . The situation is utterly crap.

If born and educated in most other EU countries, they are guaranteed citizenship of that country on turning 18 I think.

Nah, doesn’t work like that sadly

Many if not most countries certainly allow citizenship to pass through the mother when children are born abroad. My children have my birth nationality despite never having set foot in my country. They also have their father’s nationality.

The rules are slightly different for different countries, but in general that’s how it works.

The answer is noone knows, OP. Even and especially the people whose job it is to know. Don't listen to anyone who tells you what will definitely happen, since they haven't a notion.

@buttermilkwaffles

When I was a non EU citizen with ILR I had to line up in the EU line to return to the UK (actually got told off twice for being in the non EU line at Heathrow!) And certainly didn't need to fill out a landing card

The UK has the most expensive visas in the world.

When I became British, despite having lived here with ILR for 40 years, being married to a Brit and having two British children it cost over £2000

British people have no concept of how horrible Theresa May's Hostile Environment has become.

Other EU countries dish out residence cards as a matter of courtesy
the UK makes people feel like criminals

if there is a hard Brexit, Brits are in for one heck of a shock when those chickens come home to roost.