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Pressure grows for introduction of #GreenCard for Europe

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Campaigners for a Green Card for Europe are calling on the European Parliament to honour the commitment to safeguard the free movement right of Britons in Europe.

In a resolution passed on 13 December 2017, MEPs promised to protect all the rights of Britons in Europe – yet the Withdrawal Agreement does not refer to the rights of Britons currently resident in the EU to continue to work, live, travel, love, study and retire anywhere in the European Union.

Many Britons could even lose the right to return to the UK with their families , if their partner does not meet the income thresholds set out in the UK government’s White Paper.

EU-27 citizens in the UK are also calling for a Green Card to protect their status. According to research conducted by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), there is growing evidence that EU27 citizens are less likely to be able to rent property now because of a perception that their future status is uncertain.

Joan Pons LaPlana, an award-winning male nurse based in the UK and Lynn Eade, a retired British journalist in Spain have started a petition calling for an EU Green Card which has already attracted over 56k signatures.

Speaking about the campaign, Joan said: “I feel worried about my long term rights to stay in Britain. I don’t want to be a second class citizen. The British government’s offer of settled status is a step in the right direction but it is not enough. That’s why I need an #EUGreenCard to protect my rights.”

Lynn has a disabled son and needs the security that she will be able to continue to access the support she needs in Spain. She said: “I don’t want to have to apply for Spanish citizenship which would mean giving up my British passport and rights if my stepson and I ever return to the UK.”

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The Green Card campaign is being led by New Europeans and has received the backing of a substantial caucus of MEPs in the European Parliament.

An evidence session with the influential Constitutional Affairs Committtee is planned for early this year, possibly in February.

Dantua Hübner, president of the Committee, announced to the Committee at a live hearing before Christmas that she had met with Roger Casale, CEO and founder of New Europeans and that “the Committee would need to find time to listen to Mr Casale and the Green Card for Europe proposal.”

Commenting on developments with the Green Card for Europe campaign, Roger Casale said: “This is a time when we have maximum leverage on the European Parliament because they have committed themselves to finding a way to safeguard the free movement rights of Britons in Europe and understand the point about the need for aphysical proof of identity for EU27 citizens in the UK – they should not sign off the Withdrawal Agreement until the Green Card proposal or something very like it has also been approved.”

For more information about the #EUGreenCard campaign, click here.

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