Experts' questioned on Citizens' Rights in the UK and EU
On 25 May 2021, the House of Lords European Affairs Committee begins its short inquiry into citizens’ rights, following the UK’s departure from the European Union. The post-Brexit rights of UK citizens resident in the EU and those from EU Member States living in the UK were agreed as part of the Withdrawal Agreement, which came into force on 1 February 2020.
Meeting details
Background
Central to the inquiry’s purpose is how the UK and EU Members States are supporting those rights under the Agreement. In particular, it will examine whether citizens, especially vulnerable individuals, have been given enough time, information and support to register to access their rights either in the UK or EU, within the time permitted and within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. A key deadline is the 30 June, both for the Home Office’s EU Settlement Scheme, as well as similar schemes in certain Member States.
The inquiry will also consider concerns raised both in the UK and EU about citizens’ rights, including the backlog of unprocessed applications under the Home Office Scheme, and the post-Brexit challenges facing large communities of UK citizens resident across the EU.
The public meeting will hear evidence from representatives of citizens’ rights groups in the EU and UK, as well as academics.
Topics for discussion include:
- The implementation of the Home Office’s EU Settlement Scheme
- Implementation of Citizens’ Rights provisions in EU Member States
- Support available for vulnerable citizens in the EU and UK
- The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on citizens’ rights