BRITAIN IN EUROPE

Our Policy Brief, ‘EU Immigrants in the UK: Their Future under the Points-Based System’, by BiE expert and Goldsmiths Law academic, Dr Dagmar Myslinska, brings together academics, politicians, human rights campaigners and third sector experts to offer analysis of the new immigration proposal’s social and economic impact, particularly on EU migrants.

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This written evidence is submitted to the House of Lords’ EU Justice Sub-Committee as a follow up to oral evidence presented by the director of the Britain in Europe (BiE) think tank, Dr Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos, at the House of Lords’ EU Justice Sub-Committee hearing on EU citizens’ rights on 31st October 2017.

The written evidence concentrates on the impact of Brexit on academics from the EU who are working in UK higher education, an issue on which the Committee made brief inquiries during the hearing.

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The written evidence has mainly been informed by the views of Prof Andrew George, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and International) at Brunel University London. 

Produced jointly with the New Europeans Citizenship Unit, our report provides a response to the Prime Minister’s offer on rights for EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU.

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Authored by Dr Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos and Dr Ruvi Ziegler the report makes the case for unilateral guarantees rather than reciprocal agreements to secure citizens’ rights.

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 The report, The rights of EU27 citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU27: A response to Theresa May’s ‘fair and serious’ offer, outlines the shortcomings in the Prime Minister’s offer and explores the problems with reciprocal deal making.

This BiE brief formed part of a report by the ‘New Europeans’ on ‘A Case for Unilateral Guarantees’, which was submitted to the European Parliament’s hearing on The Situation and Rights of EU citizens in the UK, on 11 May 2017 (available here). This was a joint hearing of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Petitions.

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The human rights argument presented in this brief was also developed orally by Dr Giannoulopoulos during the May 11 European Parliament hearing.

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The BiE brief incorporates expert commentary provided in recent BiE events, including a roundtable event at the British Academy on Brexit and Human Rights (23 February 2017) addressing the question of ECHR and the rights of EU citizens in the UK. 

BiE released a research brief that provides a response to the 'Immigration post Brexit' report pubished by 'Leave Means Leave' on 8 April 2017. 

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Britain in Europe stresses the need to steer away from excessive post-Brexit policy responses to immigration demanded of Government by hardliners within the Conservative party and press.

BiE launched a policy report on Brexit: Opportunities, Challenges and the Road Ahead, on 25 October 2016, with a roundtable event at the British Academy.

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The report brings together academic scholars, barristers, legal professionals, business leaders and educational experts, and makes policy recomnmendations in relation to a wide range of areas affected by Brexit, from constitutional law to business and immigration, and from security to culture to judicial cooperation and environmental protection.

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The 100-page report argues that Brexit will bring acute challenges to everything from business to human rights, and international trade to higher education.

It urges the UK Government to retain a strong international outlook to effectively tackle these challenges. Among its reccomendations, it states that:

• The Government must ensure that businesses remain able to source expertise and specialist skills from the EU

• The imposition of tariffs must be avoided

• Universities need to remain open to the best ideas and knowledge wherever they come from

• The Government must safeguard the current attractiveness of the UK as a primary destination for corporate and financial restructuring

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