Registering EU citizens after 2019

[Poppy]

Guy Verhofstadt reportedly says that the EU will not agree to the UK registering EU citizens after 2019 and yet surely that is what is going on now in Cyprus and presumably other EU Countries?

[josef k]

Quite right Poppy. EU rules say any member state can introduce a registration scheme for immigrants from other EU countries. That facility is available to member states now and has been for years. Cyprus decided to introduce it from day one. The UK didn't bother, giving cost as the reason.

You might ask how the UK can determine how many EU citizens are in the UK, if they don't have such a scheme. Well, believe it or not, they guess.

[holitec]

As I understand it, Directive 2004/38 defines this. It requires the Citizen to register in order to exercise that right after 3 months. The UK does have such a scheme already, almost exactly the same as Cyprus with the same requirements.

I have no idea why it has not been followed, I suspect an ECJ ruling some years ago caused a problem such that it was not necessary. However, having said that, I came here in 2005 and did not register until 2010 as I was not aware of the requirement until then, I still was able to register for social insurance and VAT etc without that registration, I only found out because I needed to go to the hospital and discovered I needed the registration in order to use the General - otherwise I would have been blissfully unaware! It could be the same as the EU Citizens in the UK, maybe unaware that legally they are not resident - just as I was before, until I exercised my rights in accordance with the directive.

I nearly came un-stuck on the health insurance bit, but they accepted my social insurance payments from 2005 - I just had to get proof

Maybe Guy Verhofstadt needs for look at the legislation he passed in 2004, or is it just that in his opinion that anything the UK does is not acceptable?

Digby

[Poppy]

I think you may be spot on in your last para Digby!

[Jim B]

What Joseph K said is correct, the legislation was available from 2004; the UK opted out because of cost; all the tools were there but the UK government decided not to use them and are now trying to blame the EU for the Immigration fiasco.

Jim

[Poppy]

Can you point out where they are trying to blame the EU Jim?

[holitec]

Jim,

the uk has never opted out, the form is clearly on the home office website, it is a standard form, but I will admit that the £65 cost is a bit steep.

I paid a lot less, but it was basically the same form to fill in, I seem to remember it was €8 or about that.

It is totally different to the one promoted by the BBC etc at being 80 pages, which if the one for NON EU citizens.

Digby

[Jim B]

Holitec

I think if you read further into it they never implemented it the UK never opted in unless the UK Government website is incorrect.

https://www.gov.uk/eea-registration-certificate/apply

Shelagh

Wasn't uncontrolled immigration of EU Citizens one of the cornerstones of the Leave campaign and now part of the present governments key manifesto pledges?

Jim

[holitec]

Jim,

I stand corrected, what I posted was correct 6 months ago, it must have been updated since.

Digby