The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has unexpectedly created a situation of uncertainty and insecurity for almost 3,5 million EU27 nationals living in the UK. This is especially the case for many Central-Eastern Europeans who took advantage of the European Union freedom of movement after their countries joined the community in 2004 and 2007, and settled in the UK. The numbers are significant: over 900 000 Poles, 310 000 Romanians, 185 000 Lithuanians, and 93 000 Slovaks are threatened with the loss of rights to live and work in a country in whichmany of them decided to live their life.
Despite political pressure, the British government refused to unilaterally guarantee migrants’ rights and made it a subject of political negotiations with Brussels. Negotiations are in a deadlock. Uncertainty continues.
The Institute of Public Affairs and the Bertelsmann Stiftung organised debate on maintaining the EU27 citizens’ rights in the UK (and the UK citizens in the EU27) in the Brexit negotiations.
Opening of the conference
Jacek Kucharczyk, Institute of Public Affairs
Presentation of a report: Maintaining the EU-27 citizens’ rights in the UK after Brexit. A Central European Perspective
Aleksander Fuksiewicz, Institute of Public Affairs
Anna Piłat, Institute of Public Affairs
Debate: Central European and German perspective on Brexit negotiations
Emma Baines, British Embassy in Warsaw
Maciej Dokurno, Fife Migrants Forum (Scotland, UK)
Joachim Fritz-Vannahme, Bertelsmann Stiftung (Germany)
Małgorzata Kałużyńska, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Poland)
Moderator: Agnieszka Łada, Institute of Public Affairs
