Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2017-03-01-Speech-1-238-000"
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"en.20170301.21.1-238-000"2
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"Madam President, before I say anything else I must put a clear question to Commissioner Jourová, on behalf of EU citizens. Now, and once Article 50 is triggered, will you, as the guardian of the Treaties, take action to ensure that the Free Movement Directive is properly applied in relation to both EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in other EU countries?
Why must we ask this today? Because there is compelling and growing evidence, since the Brexit vote, from our constituency casework, responsible journalism and the voices of EU citizens themselves, that some EU citizens in the UK are experiencing great uncertainty about their position. There is suspicion that, far from protecting their rights in the sensitive transition period, the UK has already begun to use them as bargaining chips. We can detect this from the approximately 28% of EU citizen applicants for UK citizenship since the referendum who have had their applications rejected or declared invalid. It is well known that the procedure for some who have been living in the UK, sometimes for decades, involves having to fill in the notorious 85-page forms, which can often trigger delays and panic.
I do not have time here to recount the stories of heartbreak and stifling bureaucracy but we must ask if this amounts to a UK policy or to negligence in respect of individuals and families whom we are legally obliged to protect. The European Parliament will hold hearings to gather our own evidence and do our job, but the Commission can act right away.
The UK Government has a moral, political and legal duty to protect the rights of all EU citizens, not least because they contribute to our communities and our economy. They are vital. As Article 50 is triggered, hundreds of thousands of UK citizens in other EU countries will want the same equality and dignity that is afforded to EU citizens in the UK: not a negotiation, but a guarantee. The UK Government must do what is right. The Commission must engage and we, your MEPs, will represent you."@en1
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