EU Parliament Chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt has
hinted that he is going to put in his best to persuade the 27 EU member states
to permit British nationals to retain their freedom of movement and every other
rights they have even after Brexit.
In his statement, Verhofstadt said that UK nationals should
be given the liberty to apply for the rights individually.
His statement was made after the British Prime Minister
Theresa May attended the very last EU summit in Brussels, before the triggering
of Article 50 which is billed to take place this month.
Mr Verhofstadt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "All
British citizens today have also EU citizenship.
"That means a number of things: the possibility to
participate in the European elections, the freedom of travel without problem
inside the union."
He further that: "We need to have an arrangement in
which this arrangement can continue for those citizens who on an individual
basis are requesting it."
Similarly, Theresa May had always stressed the need for both
parties to prioritize the future of British citizens and their EU counterparts
in the Brexit negotiation as early as possible, in order to arrest the rising
tensions and uncertainties.
Though the PM has repeatedly said that she is ready to
secure the rights of EU nationals living in the UK, as long as EU nations will
do same to UK nationals in their countries. However, people within and outside
the government has been accusing the PM for using EU nationals as “bargaining
chips”
Mr Verhofstadt also stated that he had received over a
thousand letters from British citizens who do not want to lose their connection
with "European civilisation".
In the past he had called on Brussels to be "open and
generous" to individual UK citizens, and said politicians were considering
how to allow them to maintain their ties to the continent.
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