Britain is set to depart the European Union on March 29 but with no deal agreed on a post-Brexit relationship, some of the remaining EU27 have published guidelines on the rights of Brits in the bloc if it crashes out completely.
Malta
The Government’s data suggests that there are roughly 13,000 UK nationals in Malta exercising their EU treaty rights, 5,000 of whom are in employment.
The Government has decided that insofar as the immigration position of UK citizens who are, or will be exercising their freedom of movement rights in Malta as EU nationals until 29 March 2019. UK Nationals will have full access to the labour market for a 10 year period and are exempt from the need for an employment licence.
The Government has decided to give UK nationals moving to Malta after 29 March 2019 residence documents valid for 10 years, as long as they satisfy established criteria. Fees currently applicable to third country nationals will apply.
The supply chain for medicinal items could be disrupted because of changes to the UK regulatory framework. Therefore, alternative sources to procure medicinal products from within the EU are being sought, and the Government is stockpiling medicines so supplies do not run out.
Aviation The Commission has issued two proposals related to the aviation sector to serve as a contingency to be used in case that a withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU does not enter into force. The proposed regulations concern: (a) aviation safety, (b) air transport connectivity.
Tourism A weak sterling and declining economic performance resulting from a no-deal Brexit is bound to negatively affect the British travelling public’s spending power in Europe and could shift business to cheaper destinations such as Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt.
Tourist arrivals to Malta from the UK are expected to be 50,000 lower than the baseline value in 2020. Within the overall volume of tourist arrivals in Malta, a 50,000 drop from baseline performance would be notable but not of an alarming nature. Brexit has the potential to negatively affect around 300 jobs and 0.4% of GDP as compared to baseline values. In order to overcome an expected 50,000 loss in arrivals in the no-deal Brexit scenario, an increase in marketing/route support budget of around €3 million over a 12-month period is being considered.
The EU passport for UK pets is no longer valid. A communication campaign will be launched to inform UK travellers of these implications.
Internal security: Exchange of information and intelligence, as well as the mutual cooperation that currently takes place through EU set-ups, will cease.
The Malta Police Force is preparing to take on new challenges. Indications are that there are no current pending cases with the UK at the moment.
Border control Although the UK is not a Schengen country, and UK citizens already go through non-Schengen border points, minimal checks are usually carried on arriving UK citizens. This will cease, and UK citizens will go through the same checks third country nationals go through at our airport and seaport.
Products imported from the UK would also be subject to border controls.
Maltese in the UK The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion, with the help of its High Commission in London, has been running an outreach campaign to maintain constant contact with the Maltese community in the UK.
Posting of workers: Workers who are in a cross-border situation between the UK and Malta (such as mariners working on Maltese-flagged vessels), and who by virtue of EU law are subject to be insured under the Maltese scheme, shall cease to be insurable under the latter scheme. UK nationals resident in the UK will no longer be insured in Malta. The same applies for posted workers from the UK to Malta and vice-versa. In this case, workers will remain insured in their country of residence.
Full Preparations FactSheet can be accessed here
France
The government approved a decree on Wednesday and published a summary that covers the rights of Britons living in France in a no-deal scenario.
UK citizens currently living in France will have one year to get a non-EU Citizen card, called a carte de sejour, or a residence permit.
During that period, the rights of British nationals will stay the same in terms of residence, working rights, and access to benefits. If you already have a residence permit, you will be able to swap it for a long-term resident non-EU citizen one.
Access to health care will be the same for Brits in France for two years after the UK’s departure.
France has reiterated it will apply these conditions if the UK ensures the same rights for French citizens living in Britain.
Spain
According to United Nations data in 2015, Spain hosts the largest amount of Britons in Europe with 308,000 people, about a third of them pensioners.
In Spain “third country” nationals have to receive an annual income of at least €26,000 to remain a legal resident, which could prove difficult for pensioners.
To become a Spanish citizen official rules state you would have to renounce your British passport, except for veterans of the 1930s left-wing International Brigades and Sephardi Jews who can prove a family connection with Spain.
The government has yet to set out any decree on the rights of UK citizens in Spain and Spanish nationals in Britain but said it was starting to work on one last month.
Italy
Italy too has yet to set out any formal decree but its foreign affairs ministry has said that British residents can continue to live and work in Italy in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Ireland
Both the UK and Ireland have said the Common Travel Area, which allows for the free travel and residence in either jurisdiction, will continue despite a no-deal Brexit.
However, the risk of a crash out of the EU with no-deal is that it could bring back a “hard” Northern Irish border.
Germany
After Brexit day on the 29 March and the event of a no-deal, UK citizens will have three months to register for a new temporary residence permit.
Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland
The UK and the so-called EEA EFTA countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, reached an agreement on citizens rights in the event of no-deal on Friday.
The Icelandic government said the agreement “protects the rights of EEA EFTA citizens living in the UK and British citizens living in the EEA EFTA states, providing certainty that they can continue to do so in the event of a no-deal Brexit”.
Norway’s government made a similar statement which would mean residence rights are secured regardless of no-deal being agreed.
European citizens in the UK
The UK Government said it intends to implement an EU Settlement Scheme, even if no Brexit deal is agreed on, which will allow a ‘settled status’ regime for EU nationals in the UK.
EU citizens with ‘settled status’ or ‘pre-settled status’ to stay in the UK will be able to access healthcare, pensions and other benefits and services in the UK.
However, the Government said, the existing reciprocal healthcare arrangements for UK citizens in the EU and EU citizens in the UK would “probably end”.
Source Euronews/Malta Government
