UK citizens groups in the EU collaborate in aftermath of Alternative White Paper

UK citizens groups in the EU collaborate in aftermath of Alternative White Paper

Feb 9, 2017 | News

Bremain in Spain is one of an increasing number of groups representing UK citizens across the European Union. These groups are coming together to fight for their common cause – protecting the rights of their members.

Following their appearance at the House of Commons Select Committee for Exiting the European Union in January 2017, Debbie Williams (Brexpats – Hear our Voice), Gareth Horsfall (British in Italy), Christopher Chantrey (British Community Committee of France) and our own Sue Wilson have been increasingly working together for the common good. The 4 groups work alongside others representing UK citizens, and hold weekly conference calls to collaborate in the fight to protect our rights.

The most notable collaboration was last week’s Alternative White Paper, issued en masse to members of both Houses of Parliament. This was covered extensively by the media, both in the UK and across Europe. The Alternative White Paper was the biggest joint action to date by groups representing UK citizens in the EU. On Thursday 9th February, the action was followed up by the collective – i.e. emails from the heads of each group directly to the Department of Exiting the European Union.

The previous week, David Davis, the Secretary of State for the Department of Exiting the European Union, told the House of Commons that “we have engaged a range of stakeholders, including expatriate groups, to ensure we understand the priorities of UK nationals living in EU countries”. As not one of the groups can recall ever being contacted by Mr Davis, they decided that each group would write to his department pointing out this oversight on his part, and requesting a meeting.

The emails were sent en masse to an email address provided by the Ministry to deal with UK citizens from the EU: stakeholders@dexeu.gov.uk

Please feel free to follow our example and write to them too!

 

Bremain in Spain’s letter to Department for Exiting EU in full:

I am writing on behalf of Bremain in Spain, a group of 4200 UK citizens resident in Spain, for which I am the Chair. I recently presented written and oral evidence to the House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee on behalf of my members, but also all UK citizens currently residing in Spain.  My group also collaborated with other UK citizens’ groups last week, to produce the Alternative White Paper.

As a collective of groups across Europe, we are now the largest group of UK residents in the European Union. All groups agree that the one million citizens in residence in the EU prior to Brexit should keep all existing rights, not just rights of residency. We need an agreement on this as soon as possible, with a similar arrangement for EU citizens already resident in the UK. Any agreement should be effective from the date that we leave the EU, and not before, as until then, we still have those rights. It should not be backdated to be effective from the date of the referendum, as this would adversely penalise those UK citizens that have already bought property and are currently in the process of moving to Europe.

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, nor to my knowledge, have any of the other groups. 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.

For more information on the Alternative White Paper:
https://www.bremaininspain.com/news/uk-citizens-europe-towards-alternative-white-paper/

Read the full Alternative White Paper document

For more information on our group please see our website:
https://www.bremaininspain.com/

I look forward to hearing from you in this regard, and to having the opportunity as a “stakeholder” of putting across the concerns of my members in person to the Secretary of State.

Yours sincerely

Sue Wilson
Chair – Bremain in Spain

Read the Bremain in Spain Press Release HERE

Choose Freedom

Choose Freedom

Feb 8, 2017 | Campaigns & Events, News

A European Passport could be the perfect solution for those threatened with the loss of EU Citizenship

The Choose Freedom Campaign is a European Citizens’ Initiative that is the brainchild of Glyn Hughes, 57 year old Engineering Designer from Derbyshire. The aim of the campaign is to persuade the European Union to issue EU passports to any EU citizens that are at risk of losing their rights and freedoms, in this case, as a result of Brexit. You do not have to be a UK Citizen or a resident of Spain to take part!

 

 

What is a European Citizens’ Initiative?

A European Citizens’ Initiative is an EU scheme that allows citizens to propose legislation, if they can garner the support of one million citizens across the European Union. To support an ECI at least 1 million signatures are needed, spread across at least 7 EU member countries. (Regulation 211/2011). Citizens’ Initiatives were first introduced with the Lisbon Treaty in 2012, as a way to empower citizens to deliver a better Europe. They have rarely been used up until now.

Glyn Hughes

EU Citizenship vs EU Passport

To date, there have been a number of schemes attempting to attain EU citizenship from the European Union. The main stumbling block is that only Nation states can issue Citizenship, so it is not within the power of the EU to do so. However, what the EU can do, is to issue EU passports, which would come with all the associated rights of citizenship. There already exists (Regulation 1417/2013) the ability for the EU to issue EU passports to diplomats and officials.

Citizens’ Initiative Basic Facts: http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/basic-facts

You can read the Bremain in Spain Official Press Release here

You can read the European Commission Official Press Release here

OeSD - laissez-passer
The EU Commission has agreed that this form of passport, known as “laissez-passer” can be extended “on exceptional basis and upon due motivation, to special applicants”.

The Commission has accepted that the Choose Freedom application is legally valid on this basis.

Voting rules

The rules for voting are fairly complex, and vary from country to country. UK citizens living in the EU will be governed by the rules of their country of residence. Some EU countries will give EU migrants the choice of voting in their country of citizenship or their country of residence.

However, a unique situation adversely effecting only citizens of the UK and Ireland, is that the rules of France, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Austria and Portugal prevent them from voting altogether if they are officially resident in those countries. If you are not an official resident, then you may vote in the country where you are an official resident. The European Commission has no control over these rules, as each country makes its own voting decisions.

View the table HERE, supplied by the EU, which tells you which country you need to vote in based on your Citizenship and Country of Residence.

Please read our FAQs

Can I Vote?

To qualify, you must be an EU Citizen (national of a member state), and must be old enough to vote in the European Parliament Elections, but you do not have to be registered to vote. Anyone denied the opportunity to vote due to the 15 year rule, can now have a say!

All voting will be done online, and all votes will be verified.

 

How do I Vote?

When you click on the Vote Now button below, it will take you to the European Citizens’ Initiative form. The first question you will be asked is to “Select Country“. Please choose the country where you are officially registered as a resident. You will then be asked for proof of identity and advised which documents are acceptable – this will vary from country to country. Next you will be asked to identify yourself, supply your date of birth, your Nationality, and in some cases, your address. The level of information required will depend on the regulations of each EU country. You will be asked to confirm that the information you have supplied is correct and that you have read the Privacy Statement re data protection.

All you need to do now is click on the Vote Now button.

 

What happens next?

Glyn Hughes (sponsor) and our own Sue Wilson (second) have up to a year to collect the one million votes required in the referendum. Once 1,000,000 votes have been collected then Glyn and Sue will meet with the European Commission in Brussels, before being invited to present at a public hearing in the European Parliament. The Commission would then have 3 months to decide on a course of action, and to explain their reasons for their decision.

VOTE NOW

“It’s such a shame that UK citizens living in the excluded countries, like France and Portugal, will be prevented from voting due to the rules of their country of residence. What we will be asking them to do is to get their friends, family and neighbours to vote on their behalf, hopefully in very large numbers. On the plus side, it is a huge bonus that the criteria for voting is based on age, and not on being registered to vote. For those living in Europe that have been denied the opportunity to vote due to the 15 year rule, this is fantastic news. Whatever the result of the campaign, I hope at the very least that it will prove to all European governments how strongly we value our EU citizenship, and the lengths that we are prepared to go to hold onto those rights and freedoms”.

Sue Wilson – Chair
Bremain in Spain

 

Legal information

The online referendum is to approve:
TITLE: European Free Movement Instrument
SUBJECT-MATTER: Guaranteeing European citizens free movement by a Universal Instrument
MAIN OBJECTIVES: For the better functioning of a free market, in the interest of the Union and in order to comply with the duty of care towards all its citizens, we beg the Commission to delineate a method by which all Europeans of good standing may be granted a signal and permanent instrument of their status and of their right to free movement throughout the Union by way of a unified document of laissez-passer as permitted by Article (4) of Council Regulation 1417/2013, or by another method
PROVISIONS OF THE TREATIES:
Article 45, 48, 57, 77, 78, 79 of the (Consolidated) Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Articles 2(2), 17, 39, 42 and 63a of the Treaty of Lisbon (2007)
Article 1 of the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)

 

VOTE NOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwZv0d9bAY0

In the Press:

The Independent 13th February 2017
Initiative launched calling for UK citizens to be issued with EU passports after Brexit

The Local.es 14th February 2017
‘Choose Freedom’: EU passport campaign launched across Europe

The Olive Press 14th February 2017
Expat campaign group Bremain In Spain demands EU passports for Brits post-Brexit

Media Coverage: Brexit ‘Alternative White Paper’

Media Coverage: Brexit ‘Alternative White Paper’

Feb 2, 2017 | News

Today’s release of UK Citizens in Europe: Towards an Alternative White Paper on the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was met with immediate press coverage. As the media gets time to digest the Government’s White Paper, and look at the detail of the ‘Alternative’ – links will be added below:

 

Olive Press – Spain (2nd Feb 2017)
“British expat group publishes alternative white paper on government Brexit negotiations”
http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2017/02/02/british-expat-group-publishes-alternative-white-paper-government-brexit-negotiations/

The Guardian (2nd Feb 2017)
“Alternative white paper by Britons in EU says rights must be protected”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/02/alternative-white-paper-britons-eu-rights-protected

UK Citizens in Europe: Towards an Alternative White Paper

UK Citizens in Europe: Towards an Alternative White Paper

Feb 2, 2017 | Campaigns & Events, News

“This is the biggest group action yet by groups representing UK citizens in the EU”

 

UK Citizens in Europe: Towards an Alternative White Paper on the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill

On the eve of the Government’s White Paper publication, UK citizens living in the EU present their ‘UK Citizens in Europe – Towards an Alternative White Paper’.

This is the biggest group of British citizens’ organisations in Europe working together for the first time to call for their serious concerns to be acted on before Article 50 is triggered.  The groups represent thousands of British citizens living and working across the continent.

‘UK Citizens in Europe – Towards an Alternative White Paper’ sets out clear concerns about being able to live, work, run a business or study in the European countries where many have made lives for themselves and their families.

Authors, Jane Golding and Jeremy Morgan QC added:

“Following the Supreme Court ruling, UK MPs have both the opportunity and the clear responsibility to make approval of the bill to trigger Article 50 conditional on safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of over a million UK citizens living in Europe (as well as around 3 million EU citizens in the UK).  This should happen at the earliest opportunity.” (J.Golding)

“Our paper shows that the complex position of individuals who have moved to another EU country.  It is clear that unless all rights are preserved, many people will have no choice but to give up their homes and their lives and return to their country of origin”  (J.Morgan)

The signatories of the Alternative White Paper are:

  • Brits in Europe (Germany)
  • British Community Committee of France
  • Expat Citizen Rights in EU (ECREU) on behalf of 6,000 members from 25 EU Countries (France)
  • Fair Deal for Expats (France)
  • RIFT (Remain in France Together)
  • Brexpats Hear our Voice (Belgium)
  • British in Italy
  • Bremain in Spain
  • EuroCitizens (Spain)
  • New Europeans (UK) 

For further information or to speak to the authors contact:

Jane Golding +49 171 1487159  jama.golding-wilkens@t-online.de

Jeremy Morgan +39 368 8714943  jeremymorganit@gmail.com

Daniel Tetlow: +49 1573 370 4205 daniel@kamanga.net

  

You can read the full text HERE

UK Citizens in Europe: Towards an Alternative White Paper

Bremain’s Sue Wilson appears at Select Committee for Exiting the European Union

Bremain’s Sue Wilson appears at Select Committee for Exiting the European Union

Jan 20, 2017 | Articles, News

Bremain in Spain’s very own Sue Wilson appeared on Tuesday 18 January in an evidence session of the cross-party Select Committee for Exiting the European Union, which took place at Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London. The session examined the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens living in EU countries.
The panel comprised Nicholas Hatton and Anne-Laure Donskoy of ‘the 3million’, representatives of the East European Resource Centre, Debbie Williams of ‘Brexpats – Hear our Voice’, Christopher Chantrey of the ‘British Community Committee of France’ and Gareth Horsfall, representing UK nationals in Italy. Sue was invited to represent the interests of UK citizens in Spain and, in particular, pensioners.
Exiting the EU Select Committee

In a 1.5-hour session – giving 45 minutes for the representatives of EU citizens, followed by 45 minutes for the four-strong panel representing UK citizens in EU – the attendees fielded a variety of questions from the Select Committee. Specific questions were directed at Sue Wilson by Joanna Cherry (SNP) Hilary Benn (Chairman – Labour), Peter Lilley (Tory), Jeremy Lefroy (Tory) and Maria Caulfield (Tory).

Sue spoke of the need to guarantee expats’ pension rights, which could be done by Theresa May ahead of any Brexit negotiations. She also voiced concerns about the right of UK citizens to remain in Spain, the continuation of free healthcare under EU social security arrangements and whether the triple-lock pension arrangement would continue.

 

Exiting the EU Select Committee
Exiting the EU Select Committee
Exiting the EU Select Committee
Exiting the EU Select Committee
Exiting the EU Select Committee
Parliament and Portcullis House
Exiting the EU Select Committee

Sue raised the difficulties faced by UK citizens applying for Spanish citizenship. Spain currently does not allow dual nationality for UK citizens, meaning that applicants from the UK have to forego their UK citizenship entirely. Sue explained that many people do not wish to divest their UK citizenship because it could have implications for their pensions. Furthermore, those wishing to return to Britain to reside with family in their final years could consequently face the same immigration issues as non-UK citizens. Sue stated that 300,000 UK citizens are registered officially in Spain but that at least twice that number is estimated to reside there. She added that UK citizens who own property in Spain, but do not have permanent residency, could also be affected by Brexit.

Sue urged the government to guarantee EU citizens’ rights in the UK, which would ideally lead to a reciprocal arrangement from the EU 27 countries. She said: “Some 108,000 UK pensioners are living in Spain. People are suffering now – with the exchange rate, concerns about healthcare and fears about their future. Many originally moved to Spain because it was cheaper to buy property there. Will they be able to stay, can they afford to stay, or will they be forced back to England? These people cannot wait 2.5 years for a resolution. Theresa May should act unilaterally now and encourage other countries to reciprocate.”

Sue also pointed out that private healthcare is expensive in Spain, especially if the applicant is elderly and has pre-existing conditions. She said: “Whether or not healthcare is funded would be a deciding factor as to whether people return to UK.”

She added: “Many people have moved to Spain for health benefits, as the climate aids conditions such as rheumatism. The return of these people would strain UK health and social care and possibly impact their life expectancy.”

A fellow panellist pointed out that the equivalent of the population of Birmingham may be faced with returning to the UK. What impact would this have on the UK if all these people must be repatriated? How many could return homeless?

Other topics from the panel included the right of UK citizens to establish businesses in EU countries, the right to continue their businesses in the face of Brexit and the right to do this without having to apply for new qualifications/exams in foreign languages.

Sue Wilson concluded by saying that the Brits based in Spain are as British as any citizens and should, as such, be looked after by the British government.

The Select Committee will presumably debate the issues raised at the session and present their findings to the Department for Exiting the European Union, with recommendations. It is hoped that this will be the start of an ongoing discussion between all parties, and that, in future, Sue and the other panel members will be given further opportunity to present evidence.

 

The full session ‘British Citizens residing in other European Countries’ can be viewed below, courtesy of Parliamentlive.tv – You can enlarge by selecting the ‘Full Screen’ button

 

Update

Now published – Parliamentary report by the Select Committee report following Sue Wilson’s appearance, alongside other representatives, defining the government’s negotiating objectives for rights of UK and EU citizens.

Read the report HERE
You can also read the subsequent press coverage in the Guardian