EU nationals could be barred from claiming benefits and kicked out once their jobs finish
Ministers in Whitehall are considering new plans to classify how EU citizens arriving in the UK
EU nationals working in Britain could be barred from claiming benefits and kicked out once their jobs finish, under new plans considered in Whitehall.
Ministers are finalising plans to classify how EU citizens arriving in the UK post-Brexit.
In his column for The Sun today, James Forsyth reveals mandarins have put forward the option of blocking EU nationals from accessing Britain’s welfare system – unless they can support themselves.
It would mean a worker from Spain who managed to secure a few weeks’ menial work in a shop would be denied access.
Only those with jobs that would allow them to pay private rent without the need to be topped up with tax credits or require social housing would be given the green light.
Theresa May has insisted she wants to guarantee the rights of 3m EU citizens currently living and working in Britain as soon as possible.
But she wants the same guarantees for 1.2m Brits working in EU countries.
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Ministers are currently trying to pin down where to place a cut-off date for the “right to remain” in the UK.
Theresa May has declared she will trigger Article 50 – the starting gun for Brexit - before the end of March.
Leading Leave campaigner Gisela Stewart has suggested that should be the date for pulling up the drawbridge.
Others have suggested the date of last year’s referendum which would anger Remain campaigners and EU country leaders.
But Downing Street officials are anxious to quell the public’s angst over immigration ahead of a General Election.
Immigration figures released next week will show whether there has been a surge of EU citizens coming to Britain ahead of Brexit.
A leaked European Parliament document last week suggested UK expats would be on the receiving end of a legal backlash.
It claimed EU countries could copy Britain’s tough residency standards and impose them on Brits wishing to stay in the EU.