Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Wednesday 6th March 2019

HM Government recognises the challenges ongoing uncertainty presents and continues to consider what additional support can be made available to UK nationals living in the EU.

The Prime Minister has been clear from the beginning that safeguarding the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, as well as UK nationals living in the EU, was her first priority. The UK Government remains committed to a negotiated and orderly departure from the EU. We do not want or expect a no deal scenario but it is the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes, including the possibility of no deal.

HM Government recognises the challenges that ongoing uncertainty presents for UK nationals living in the EU.

The FCO’s consular service assists British people living, travelling and working around the world when they are most in need. We envisage an increase in enquiries, notarial work, and requests for consular assistance, and in the complexity of consular cases as a result of EU Exit. We are therefore increasing significantly the capacity of our consular network in the EU27 and EFTA states and the Global Consular Contact Centre, which handles all telephone and written consular enquiries for our embassies, high commissions and consulates in the EU and EFTA states.

The FCO is committed to ensuring that timely information is available for UK Nationals living, working and travelling in the EU. Our network of Europe Posts has held over 280 outreach events since November 2017. The FCO is also running information campaigns that seeks to ensure that UK nationals resident and travelling in the EU and EFTA states have a clear understanding of their resulting rights and services available to them following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. We are encouraging UK nationals to visit the ‘UK nationals in the EU’ page and ‘Living in [Country] Guides’ on GOV.UK, and to follow their local Embassy social media channels for the latest updates.

We are continuing to look at what additional support the Government can offer to UK nationals resident in EU Member States.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office.