BREXIT NEWS

The UK has voted to leave the European Union. It is scheduled to depart at 11pm UK time on Friday 29 March, 2019 – two years after it triggered Article 50.

Who are still in the EU? – see the list attached – https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries_en

The Divorce shall start between the UK citizens and the rest of Europe based on three main issues:

  1. How much the UK owes the EU?
  2. What happens to the Northern Ireland border?
  3. What happens to UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK?

Everyone is talking about a “hard” or “soft” Brexit ?

There is no exact explanation, but people are quoting these phrases to refer the extreme divorce, “hard” Brexit could involve the UK refusing to compromise on issues like the free movement of people even if it meant leaving the single market or having to give up hopes of aspects of free trade arrangements. At the other end of the scale, a “soft” Brexit might follow a similar path to Norway, which is a member of the single market and has to accept the free movement of people as a result of that.

What happens to EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens in the EU?

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Theresa May,  says there will be certainty to the 3.2 million EU citizens in the UK – as well as citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland and that they will be able to carry on living and working in the UK as they have done with their rights enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts.

UK citizens living and working in the EU will also retain their current rights. “Brexit could well be a factor in people’s decision to move to or from the UK, but people’s decision to migrate is complicated and can be influenced by lots of different reasons,” the Office for National Statistics.

The proposal provides a cut-off date of Brexit day – 29 March 2019 – for those to be covered by the rules. For example if a baby was born after that date to people who have qualified under these rules, the new born European baby will be included in the agreement. Under the plan EU citizens legally resident in the UK and UK citizens in the EU will be able to leave that country for up to five years before losing the rights they will have as part of the proposed Brexit deal.

Healthcare rights will continue as now although it is not clear yet what status an EHIC card would have for other travelers after Brexit.

ONLINE registration System – UK government ministers say there will be an online system – similar to one used to renew driving licenses – that will take minutes to complete with a fee similar to getting a passport, which is about £72.

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