Thread by @BritishInEurope

⬇️ A thread on the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) and how it should be strengthened to protect the rights of 1.2 million @britishineurope. ⬇️

1. It is worth recalling that the stated aim of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) was to ensure that nothing (repeat NOTHING) would change for EU27 nationals in the UK (EUinUK) and for UK nationals in the EU (UKinEU).

2. The European Parliament pointed out in December 17 that the Joint Report didn’t do enough to ensure this.
👉 WE AGREE to put it mildly.

3. As ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’, we repeat our call for a ringfenced agreement on #citizensrights so that the 4.6m people most directly affected by Brexit can get on with their lives without chaos in the event of a no deal scenario.

4. On the substance of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) we have two main worries:
(1) outstanding issues,
(2) omissions from the text i.e. people who aren’t currently covered by it.

5. On outstanding issues: free movement and associated EU-wide economic rights and cross-border service provision are not included for the 1.2m @britishineurope.
👉 In fact, the Commission has gone one step further and says they are ‘EXCLUDED’.

6. This is a huge problem because about 80% of us are working age or younger - many rely on free movement and cross-border working to support their families NOW.

Please see our @Politics_co_uk piece for more information and case studies.
politics.co.uk/comment-analys…

7. The European Commission also added, without consultation, this unclear, late stage, provision:
the right to provide services to a person established in another Member State is excluded. ⛔️

8. What this could mean is that a British translator based in Germany could work for a German, US or even Chinese client, but not one from the rest of the EU.
👉Not only is this absurd but it is also legally unworkable in today’s digital, global world of work.

9. Then we have concerns about who isn’t covered by the agreement: e.g. future spouses and partners of the younger demographic. 👰🤵💒

10. For example, will Brits be allowed to return to the UK with their EU and non-EU spouses if they need to after Brexit without being subject to strict UK immigration rules?

11. There is also ambiguity over dual citizens – remember lots of UKinEU and EUinUK are scrambling to take nationality in their host country to protect themselves. The WA is unclear on whether they are covered. 🛂

12. We have many more concerns but these are the main ones.

To read our high-level analysis in full see britishineurope.org/detailed-analy…

[ends]

With thanks to @EmporersNewC for threading expertise 😀