External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said Indians who have migrated from European Union countries to the United Kingdom will not face any problem until the Brexit process gets over, PTI reported. The UK’s exit from the European Union on March 29 will follow a transition period till the end of 2020, and EU citizens can continue living in the country in that period, Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha.
The Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU, which is yet to be voted upon by the UK Parliament, “protects all EU citizens residing in the UK in accordance with the conditions prescribed in the EU Free Movement Law”, Swaraj said. She said EU citizens can continue to stay in the UK at the end of transition period on December 31, 2020 if they are workers or self-employed there, or have sufficient resources or sickness insurance, have family members who are EU citizens, or have the right of permanent residence.
The UK Parliament will start discussing the matter next week and there will be more clarity on the relationship between the UK and the EU later this month, Swaraj said. “It won’t be definite to say anything at this point of time,” she said. “The whole process will take two years and till then there will not be any problem.”
Any uncertainty will be known after the process is completed, she said. “However, during the transition period, the UK will be able to negotiate, sign and ratify new agreements with other countries, but they will not come into force until the end of the transition period of December 31, 2020,” she said.
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