Brit expats urged to support lawyers working for continued EU rights

British expats in Europe are being urged to support a permanent status for the UK’s EU citizenship.

Although the Brexit-originated Withdrawal Agreement came into force at the end of January this year, thus supposedly removing all 6 million Britons’ rights to free movement and EU citizenship, a group of passionate citizens and lawyers believe the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement itself illegally contravenes the law of citizenship.

As a result of this belief that EU citizenship is a non-revocable permanent status, a case is now being brought to the EU’s Court of Justice in an attempt to have the court confirm UK citizens’ right to continuing EU citizenship. The lawyers dedicated to fighting the case on behalf of all UK citizens who wish to retain their EU citizenship are at present working pro bono, but certain costs will be incurred at later stages as the case proceeds. Some £15,000 needs to be raised in order to file the case before April 24, with the lawyers urging those for whom EU citizenship is an invaluable right to contribute to funding the proceedings.

The fight to retain EU citizenship began in January 2018, with 140,000 Britons registering their determination to retain their EU rights including citizenship. Another 130,000 have since posted their determination to ‘stay European’ by registering at www.stayeuropean.org. Recent research has suggested the numbers are far higher, with as many as tens of millions valuing and wishing to preserve their full rights as Europeans.

For expats living and working or retiring in EU member states, these rights are essential to their continuing their chosen lifestyles without hassle and the risk of losing their jobs or their right to stay permanently. It would seem this court case is the last attempt to access the rights valued by so many British citizens both in the home country and in Europe.

The present situation vis-à-vis the coronavirus pandemic makes it even more important that UK citizens in Europe can retain rights such as healthcare and freedom of movement, both of which will no longer be available by the end of this year. The response to the virus has changed the world in many ways, with many expats believing Brexit is now an anomaly and should be revised if not abandoned entirely.