The Liberal
Government in Bucharest on Wednesday passed an emergency decree on the status
of British citizens living in Romania in the case Great Britain leaves the
EU without an agreement. The decree also defends the interests of Romanian
citizens living in the UK. Here is the head of the Prime Minister’s
Chancellery, Ionel Danca:
Right now, Romania is the only EU Member
State that has not implemented such regulations, and the unpredictable developments
in Great Britain compel the urgent adoption of a framework agreement in order
to avoid the situation where Great Britain leaves the EU without an agreement
and British citizens in Romania lack the legal conditions allowing them for a
transit period pending the definition of their rights and obligations in
Romania, as well as the rights and obligations of Romanian citizens in Great
Britain.
Although it hasn’t
taken effect yet, Brexit has struck fear into the hearts of all EU citizens,
especially those studying or working in the UK. They have to demand in advance
the right to remain in this country, or else they risk being pushed out of the
country. The British Interior Ministry in London has recently announced some
1.8 million people filed requests to obtain stay permits, with many others
willing to risk staying without legal documentation. Still, the BBC claims that
any person presenting reasonable evidence for their lack of a visa will be
allowed an extension, allowing them to file for British stay and work permits.
The British Interior Ministry does not have the exact figure of EU citizens currently
residing in the UK, but the Migration Observatory puts to figure at close to
3.3 million people, including Romanians. The greatest concern is linked,
however, to the exact date of Brexit, which has been postponed three times
already in three and a half years. The latest delay occurred at the end of last
month, with the new expected deadline set for January 31, 2020. Even so,
uncertainty continues to grip the country. Great Britain will see early parliamentary
elections next month, on which the very fate of Brexit seems to depend.
Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims he is the only one who can see
Brexit achieved on January 31, while his opponent, the leader of Labour
opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, argues he is capable of securing a better deal with
Brussels, one he is willing to subject to a referendum that would also include
a question on Great Britain’s possible stay in the EU.
(translated by V. Palcu)