LONDON: The head of Britain’s new Brexit ministry on Sunday said that EU migrants arriving between now and the country’s official departure from the bloc may not be guaranteed the right to remain.
David Davis told the Mail on Sunday that he would negotiate with European leaders to secure “a generous settlement for EU migrants here now and a generous settlement for British citizens in the EU”, but offered no such assurances for newcomers.
“There are a variety of possibilities,” he said of plans to deal with a predicted “surge” in arrivals from the EU ahead of Britain’s departure.
“We may have to say that the right to indefinite leave to remain protection only applies before a certain date. But you have to make those judgments on reality, not speculation.”
Britain will have to stick to the EU’s freedom of movement rules until it officially leaves, but will then have control over who stays in the country, including over those who arrived before the pullout date.
