UK to end EU free movement after Brexit – TheNigerialawyer

Britain said Monday it will immediately end freedom of movement
for people from the European Union after Brexit on October 31, in a
policy shift under Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on October
31 when the UK leaves the EU,” a Downing Street spokeswoman
said.

She added the government planned “tougher criminality rules for
people entering the UK” as part of the new hardline stance.

“Details of other changes immediately on October 31 for a new
immigration system are currently being developed,” the spokeswoman
said.

The change comes amid growing fears Britain is set to leave the
28-member bloc without a divorce deal in two and a half months.

Around 3.6 million EU citizens already in Britain have been told
to apply for “permanent settled status”, under an interior ministry
scheme started by Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May.

So far only around one million have signed up for the
status.

May’s government said in January that it would end free movement
“as soon as possible” after a no-deal Brexit, but keep allowing EU
arrivals “for a transitional period only”.

Legislation drawn up to deal with the issue is stuck in
parliament in the House of Commons gridlock over Brexit.

Johnson has said he favours a skills-based immigration system
post-Brexit, but Downing Street is yet to unveil full details.

Critics representing EU citizens claim he is trying to evade
parliamentary scrutiny of his changed stance towards new arrivals
after Brexit — and fear those already in Britain could get
mistakenly caught out.

“Ending freedom of movement abruptly on Oct 31st will lead to
mass discrimination against potentially over 2 million EU
citizens,” the3million lobby group said on Twitter, calling the
move “reckless”.

(AFP)