Extracts from the debate on&nbsp;freedom of movement rights of EU citizens residing in the UK and the use of six-month expulsions during the plenary session in Brussels (01-02/03/2017)

Brussels

Brexit (T)

debate

plenary session

MORAES, Claude (S&D, UK)

JOUROVÁ, Věra (EC)

LAMBERT, Jean (Greens/EFA, UK)

BEARDER, Catherine (Renew, UK)

SPINELLI, Barbara (GUE/NGL, IT)

Free movement of persons (T2)

Freedom of movement rights of EU citizens residing in the UK and the use of six-month expulsions: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Catherine BEARDER (ALDE, UK), Like many other MEP&rsquo;s I received plenty of e-mails. There are thousands of EU citizens in the UK, they&rsquo;ve paid their taxes, they paid into our pension pots, and they are paying down our debts. They contribute to our society and to our economy. Threats from Mrs May government must stop now. No &lsquo;if&rsquo; not &lsquo;but&rsquo;. They are our doctors, our nurses, shop kippers, students, teachers and others. They are not political bargaining chips. There are many examples: there is a Romanian electrician forced to resign after threats and bowling, Italian practitioners who has been resident for 20 years, married to a British, but now threaten to deportation as she has no private health insurance. The list go on, and on. They are real people, real lives, worried and fearful. Is that how we should be treating people we promised to welcome? My government need to guarantee the right of these people immediately and stop uncertainty.

SOUNDBITE (English), Claude MORAES (S&amp;D, UK), Now and once the Art 50 is triggered, will EU as guardian of the treaty take action to insure that the free movement directive is properly applied in relation to EU citizens both in the UK and UK citizens in other EU countries. Why must we say this today? Because there is compelling and building evidence since the Brexit vote , remarking that such cases thank to responsible journalism, the voices of EU citizens themselves, that some EU citizens in the UK are experiencing great uncertainty about their position. Suspicion is that far for having their rights protected, in this sensitive transition period, the UK has already begun to use them as bargaining chips.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Barbara SPINELLI (GUE/NGL, IT), The House of Lords has already said this very clearly, if there is no agreement, the consequence of the loss of EU citizenship is going to be absolutely disastrous. We therefore need to know how the Commission is gone to proceed to deal with the UK infringements in the last two years, with their very restrictive laws for the EU citizens in the UK .

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean LAMBERT (Greens/EFA, UK), Many of us will welcome tonight&rsquo;s vote in the House of Lords, on the Art 50 bell, asking the government to introduce proposals within three months of the triggering of that to insure that all EU citizens in the UK have the same residence rights after Brexit. But in the meantime , as people have said, we have people whom are in UK, they live there, they work , they studying, they retired , they have caring responsibilities, - and there I think we have an issue with the long term residence directive. They don&rsquo;t want to be used as bargaining chips. They feel is insulting, it&rsquo;s demining, and it is. So our government can at least be clear that these people are valued, and that they should strongly condemn the rising racism and xenophobia we are seeing in the UK.

SOUNDBITE (English), V&#277;ra JOUROV&#193;, Member of the EC in charge of Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, As regard to the infringement procedures I will like to underline that the Commission takes appropriate action to address failures of any member state to comply with their obligations under the EU law. There are currently infringements procedures in the area against 8 member states. The two pending infringements procedures against the UK relate to access residence rights of economically non active citizens, and rights of UK nationals returning to UK after residing in another member state. I will like to inform you that the Commission is assessing carefully these cases. As regards the residence rights of the economically non active citizens, the Commission will take into account the recent case law of the Court of justice concerning the conditions to which member states can subject the access to welfare benefits by economically non active EU citizens, in order to protect public finances.