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British Nationals Abroad

Question for Department for Exiting the European Union

UIN HL4770, tabled on 16 January 2018

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rights of UK expatriates after Brexit.

Answered on

25 January 2018

From the very beginning the Prime Minister has been clear that safeguarding the rights of UK nationals living in the EU, and EU nationals living in the UK, was her first priority for negotiations. This is a commitment we have delivered.

The agreement reached with the EU and set out in the Joint Report published in December, will provide the UK nationals in the EU with certainty about their rights going forward. It will enable UK nationals and their families who have built their lives together in the EU to stay together. This agreement not only gives the people more certainty about residence, but also healthcare, pensions and other benefits.

There were a number of citizens’ rights issues raised by the UK that were deemed outside the scope of the EU mandate for the first phase of the negotiations. The UK intends to return to in these in the next phase of negotiations.