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UK borders to stay open after Brexit: report

PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek 17.08.2017 11:39
European Union citizens will be allowed to continue to travel freely to Britain after Brexit, but workers will require permits under new plans being drafted in London, The Times daily has reported.
Image: Elionas2/pixabay.com/CC0 Creative CommonsImage: Elionas2/pixabay.com/CC0 Creative Commons

The British paper said the UK’s Home Office would not toss out the European Union’s freedom of movement principle after Brexit, meaning foreigners from the bloc would still be allowed to live and travel in the UK.

But the British government’s plans, due to be published in coming weeks, will require companies to get "sponsorship permits" before hiring EU workers, in a bid to encourage domestic employment, the daily said.

But the plan is still in very early stages and The Times highlights that details may change.

The rights of post-Brexit migrants to the UK are still undetermined but Westminster has previously suggested a four-year “waiting period” for accessing public healthcare and welfare, according to The Times.

Meanwhile, the British government recently revealed that it wanted to keep a Common Travel Area between the Republic of Ireland, which will stay in the European Union, and Northern Ireland, which will leave the bloc together with Britain, which critics called a “back door” into Britain for EU citizens, the daily said.

But Westminster has questioned whether a “back door” would be used when the “front door” remained open, according to The Times.

“We have always been clear that the concern of the public is to take control of the number of people working and claiming benefits. It is not about issuing visas,” The Times cites Whitehall sources as saying.

About three million European Union citizens, including nearly one million Poles, live in the United Kingdom, and their fates, as well as the future rules for cross-border travel, remain unclear as Britain and Brussels negotiate their divorce.

The UK is scheduled to leave the bloc in mid-2019. (vb/pk)

tags: brexit
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