Today, 09/02, EuroCitizens has coordinated with groups of UK nationals around Europe to request a meeting with David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. This platform of associations last week drew up an Alternative White Paper specifying the concerns of UK citizens in Europe and asking for recognition of all existing European citizenship rights. Now we are requesting involvement in future consultations with the department for leaving the EU. While Brexit moves inexorably closer we, along with hundreds of thousands of other UK nationals, feel that our voice is not being heard in Westminster.
We are writing on behalf of Eurocitizens,
a group of nearly two hundred UK citizens residing in and around
Madrid. Today, three of our members are meeting HM Ambassador in Madrid,
Simon Manley, and will present him with a report
reflecting the concerns of our members about the implications of Brexit
for our futures.
We were amongst the groups who gave evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on Brexit on January 18. We also formed part of a platform of over a dozen associations of UK nationals in Europe which last week drew up an Alternative White Paper (attached). We believe that this is now the largest grouping of expats working on this issue. All of the associations, which are based throughout Europe, agree that the one million citizens in residence in the EU prior to Brexit should keep all current rights - not just those concerning residence - and need an agreement on this as soon as possible, with a similar arrangement for EU citizens already resident in the UK.
We were amongst the groups who gave evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on Brexit on January 18. We also formed part of a platform of over a dozen associations of UK nationals in Europe which last week drew up an Alternative White Paper (attached). We believe that this is now the largest grouping of expats working on this issue. All of the associations, which are based throughout Europe, agree that the one million citizens in residence in the EU prior to Brexit should keep all current rights - not just those concerning residence - and need an agreement on this as soon as possible, with a similar arrangement for EU citizens already resident in the UK.
We note that the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, told the House of Commons last week that "we
have engaged a range of stakeholders, including expatriate groups, to
ensure we understand the priorities of UK nationals living in EU
countries". We have not been approached. Indeed, some of our
groups have found it difficult to communicate with the department. We
wish to be included in future consultations and would like to take this
opportunity to ask department ministers to talk to us when they visit
our countries of residence. We also request an urgent meeting with the
Secretary of State in order to explain to him our concerns in person.
