Pic:Brexit could cause a bureaucratic nightmare for EU nationals in Britain
Staff reporter(wp/es):
Millions of EU nationals in the UK could be left stranded in limbo after Brexit, according to a European Parliament report.
The document warns more than three million EU nationals could face a bureaucratic nightmare because the Home Office is not equipped to register them.
The fears have surfaced because of the UK's failure to introduce ID cards or keep records of EU nationals as they enter or leave the country.
A document drawn up by MEPs and leaked to The Observer said: "The UK has no population register. In practice it would be difficult to determine which EU27 citizens were residing legally in the UK before the Brexit would have taken effect.
“If all 3.3 million EU citizens were to initiate procedures aimed at proving the ‘exercise of treaty rights’ the administrative system would be overburdened.”
The future of EU nationals remains unclear as Prime Minister Theresa May has declined to assure them until she has secured rights for the more than one million Brits who live in other EU countries.
Am Opinium poll for The Observer found that only five per cent of Britons think EU nationals currently living in the UK should be asked to leave.
Labour's Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer told the paper: "For months Labour has called for the PM to show a lead on this and to end unnecessary uncertainty for EU nationals.
"The PM needs to act swiftly to address this – both by unilaterally granting residency rights for EU nationals already in the UK and by ensuring the Home Office has the necessary resources in place."
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