EU Exit awareness evenings held in Glasgow and Leeds
Meetings for citizens of Central and Eastern European countries residing in the UK took place on 11-12 February 2019 in Glasgow and Leeds.
CEE in UK meeting
Over 200 citizens of Central and Eastern European countries residing in the UK participated in the meetings, organised by the Central and Eastern European Network of British Embassies (Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) in conjunction with the Home Office and Department for Exiting the EU.
The sessions provided information about the UK’s exit from the EU and the new EU Settlement Scheme, which will protect the rights of EU citizens and their family members living and working in the UK, and gave participants an opportunity to ask questions about the process.
British Ambassador to Poland Mr Jonathan Knott and British Ambassador to Hungary Mr Iain Lindsay OBE hosted the first meeting, on 11 February in Glasgow. Upon opening the event, Ambassador Knott said:
We are pleased to be representing the Central and Eastern European Network of British Embassies to inform you of your rights as we leave the EU and to hear and discuss the issues that matter to you the most…
An estimated 1.7 million nationals from Central and Eastern European countries live and work in the UK. The PM has sent a clear message: we want you and your families to stay, and we value the contribution that you make to this country.
British Ambassador to Romania, Mr Andrew Noble LVO, hosted the second meeting, in Leeds. In the meeting, the ambassador reassured participants that their rights will be protected after the UK leaves the EU:
We put citizens’ rights at the heart of negotiations from the start, incorporating this into the Withdrawal Agreement. The Agreement safeguards the rights of EU citizens arriving in the UK by the end of the implementation period, end of 2020…
We want to highlight that as the PM has said, in any outcome you will be able to stay and have your rights protected - deal or no deal.
You can find more information on what to do to continue to live in the UK after it leaves the EU.