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Written question asked by Viscount Waverley (Crossbench) on Wednesday, 27 April 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 12 May 2016. It was answered by Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative) on Thursday, 12 May 2016 on behalf of the Home Office.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their intention that, in the event of the UK leaving the EU, citizens of EU member states who had previously settled in the UK would be entitled automatically to remain; and if not, what contingency plans they are making to defend any legal challenges or claims for compensation under the European Convention on Human Rights that might arise from individuals who are subject to removal.

Answer

As set out in the Government’s White Paper: ‘The process for withdrawing from the European Union’, published on 29 February, the withdrawal process is unprecedented. No country has ever used Article 50 – it is untested. There is a great deal of uncertainty about how it would work.

UK citizens get the right to live and work in the other 27 member states from our membership of the EU. If the UK voted to leave the EU, the Government would do all it could to secure a positive outcome for the country, but there would be no requirement under EU law for these rights to be maintained.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL8054
Session
2015-16
Subjects
European Convention on Human Rights Immigration EU withdrawal EU nationals UK membership of EU
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk