EU parliament to veto Brexit deal on citizen rights
MEPs, led by Guy Verhofstadt, said that the differences between between the EU’s proposals for UK citizens in Europe and EU citizens in the UK were ‘striking’
The European parliament will block a Brexit deal unless Theresa May bows to Brussels over rights for EU citizens, a senior MEP warned today.
Guy Verhofstadt warned that the bloc's legislature was ready to deploy its veto as he attacked the PM's plans for EU nationals already living in the UK.
Mrs May has put forward what she described as a ‘fair and generous offer’ that would grant permanent residence to the three million EU citizens.
The government is insisting that the European Court of Justice cannot keep meddling in British affairs after we formally leave the bloc, and says all citizens must be subject to the same rules in future.
Currently EU nationals have extra rights in some areas - such as the ability to bring spouses to the UK without meeting an £18,600 minimum income threshold.Â
In a letter published by several European newspapers today, MEPs threatened to veto the proposals, claiming they ‘cast a dark cloud of vagueness and uncertainty over the lives of millions of Europeans’.
Mr Verhofstadt, the chief negotiator for the European parliament, said that the differences between between the EU’s proposals for UK citizens in Europe and EU citizens in the UK were ‘striking’.
'I know one thing, that the parliament has to approve it by 2019,' he said.
'At the end it is the European Parliament who will say yes or no. I can tell you it will not be a yes if the rights for European citizens ... will be diminished, will be cut off as it is at the moment .' Â
The letter from MEPs questioned the ‘red tape’ that people would be required to go through for residence requirements and then ‘settled status’.
‘The British Government proposes that â€" the day after Brexit â€" Europeans obtain the status of "third country nationals", it said.
‘These nationals would get fewer rights in the UK than British citizens are offered throughout the EU.
‘Europeans would not only lose their right to vote in general elections, their future family members will also be subject to minimum income requirements, and it is unclear what the status of "post-Brexit" babies will be.
Theresa May put forward what she described as a ‘fair and generous offer’ that would grant permanent residence to the three million EU citizens
The European Parliament, which meets in Strasbourg (pictured) and in Brussels, will have to sign off any Brexit deal
‘We will never endorse the retroactive removal of acquired rights.
'The European Parliament will reserve its right to reject any agreement that treats EU citizens, regardless of their nationality, less favourably than they are at present.’
Although the European Parliament has no involvement in negotiating the Brexit terms which is led by the European Commission and Michel Barnier, it will have a vote on the final deal in 2019.
It is likely to heap more pressure on Mr Barnier to secure a deal which MEPs strongly favour.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the Government’s approach had turned Britain’s allies ‘against us’.
‘Theresa May has gambled and lost. She tried to use EU citizens as bargaining chips and they’ve called her bluff,’ he told The Telegraph.
‘This Government’s heartless approach has alienated our friends in Europe. The Prime Minister has turned our closest allies against us, the only person we have left is Donald Trump.
‘This whole sorry saga has made a disastrous Brexit with no deal more likely. We need to guarantee rights of all EU nationals in the UK today, the games need to end.’ Â
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