Amber Rudd – Home Secretary UK:

European Union citizens who have made their lives in the UK, have made a huge contribution to our country and we want them to stay. Safeguarding EU citizens’ rights has been the Prime Minister’s first priority for the negotiations with the EU.

The UK government has now delivered on that commitment and reached an agreement with the EU on citizens’ rights. The agreement will provide EU citizens and their family members living in the UK certainty about their rights after we leave the EU and most importantly, allow them to stay here. There will be reciprocal protections for UK nationals living in the EU. There will be no change to the status of EU citizens living in the UK while the UK remains in the EU.

No EU citizen currently living here lawfully will have to leave the UK when we leave the EU. There will be plenty of time for people to apply for and receive their new residence status after the UK leaves the EU.

Dear fellow citizens and other European citizens, it seems that the British authorities assures us you do not need to do anything just yet. You will see more detail about the settled status scheme in the new year and they expect the applications will open during the second half of 2018.

Igor Lăcătuș, Moțec Ștefan – Law Office, Romania