EU Tells UK Its Nationals Would Suffer Under Skills-Based Immigration.
The European Parliament Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, has warned the UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid through a letter that UK nationals would suffer under skills-based immigration.
The former Prime Minister of Belgium Verhofstadt told to Javid, that any move the UK takes in discriminating the EU nationals in the UK on basis of nationality or employment would cause the EU to apply those moves “reciprocally to UK citizens moving to the EU 26.”
Verhofstadt stressed out the EU 26, since Ireland, an EU member, has a common travel area with the UK, which it most possibly does not plan to scrap even after Brexit.
Such statements by Verhofstadt, represent of the European parliament in the Brexit negotiations come just after a meeting of Sajid Javid with the Prime Minister in Whitehall, in the City of Westminster, Central London. Reportedly, Secretary Javid and PM May discussed the post-Brexit immigration system, after May’s cabinet agreed on Monday that EU nationals should face the same immigration rules as the rest of world nationals.
The cabinet agreed that “qualifications, now not nationality” would be determinative for other people who wish to move to the United Kingdom.
“We know this matter was discussed in cabinet on Monday and that it will be the subject of a further white paper to be issued shortly,” Verhofstadt told Javid in his open letter, adding that the EU will wait to see the details of that white paper on what will be an important element of a future EU-UK association agreement.
Verhofstadt even posted on Twitter a link to the report on his letter to Javid, reminding the UK that the EU would reciprocate any discriminatory post-Brexit immigration policy for its citizens.
“We should be breaking down walls, not building them. Enhancing rights, freedoms & opportunities for our young people instead of limiting them. A discriminatory post-Brexit immigration policy for EU citizens would be reciprocated & we would all lose,” he wrote.
The UK will most possibly introduce its post-Brexit immigration system throughout the Conservative party conference, which began on Sunday, September 30.
