Britain’s government on Wednesday announced a three-year
immigration scheme to cover most European citizens wanting to come
to Britain after a no deal Brexit, in a move aimed at reassuring
business they will still be able to recruit the staff they
need.
The new policy will allow immigrants and their close family
members from the European Economic Area (EEA) — which comprises EU
nations, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway — and Switzerland to
apply to live and work in Britain for up to three years.
Britain’s interior ministry said the move, to run until the end
of 2020, signalled “the end of free movement in its current form”
from EEA member states.
“Citizens of those states moving to the UK after we have left
the EU and up until the end of 2020 will be able to obtain a
temporary immigration status lasting three years,” it said in a
statement.
“This will give businesses certainty that they will be able to
recruit and retain staff after Brexit.”
The ministry said Europeans could still visit Britain on short
trips after Brexit without applying for the scheme.
It added “a tougher criminality threshold” would also be applied
post-Brexit for Europeans citizens “in order to keep out and deport
those who commit crimes”.
Applications for new three-year stays, which will open after
Britain has left the EU, will involve “a simple online process”
involving identity, security and criminality checks, according to
the interior ministry.
The newly-arrived European citizens who want to stay after their
temporary status expires will need to apply under a new
skills-based immigration system that Johnson’s government is
planning, it said.
“Introducing tougher checks and ending free movement as it
currently stands will allow us to take the first, historic steps
towards taking back control of our borders,” interior minister
Priti Patel said.
“In the future, we will introduce a new points-based immigration
system built around the skills and talent people have – not where
they are from.”
EU Citizens already settled in Britain before Brexit can remain
indefinitely under a separate ‘settled status’ scheme already
launched.
More than one million people had been granted status through the
scheme, according to the ministry.
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President Muhammad Buhari
Air Peace to Evacuate Nigerians from South
Africa
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general
public that following the recent unfortunate xenophobic attacks on
foreign nationals, including Nigerians in South Africa, the
Proprietor of Air Peace Airlines Chief Allen Onyema, has
volunteered to send an aircraft from Friday 6th September 2019 to
evacuate Nigerians who wish to return to Nigeria free of
charge.
The general public is hereby advised to inform their relatives
in South Africa to take advantage of this laudable gesture.
Interested Nigerians are therefore advised to liaise with the High
Commission of Nigeria in Pretoria and the Consulate General of
Nigeria in Johannesburg for further necessary arrangement.
Signed
Ferdinand Nwonye
Spokesperson
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja
Wednesday, 4 September, 2019