The European Union Commission has decided to take steps against the United Kingdom for failing to comply with the free movement law of EU citizens and their family members.
As part of the Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK, the latter is required to ensure the free movement of EU citizens and their family members.
However, since the UK has not ensured the implementation of the agreement, the Commission has sent a reasoned opinion to the UK, Schengen.News reports.
According to the Commission, there are several shortcomings in the implementation of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union by the UK and this is affecting the EU citizens who continue to reside in the country under the Withdrawal Agreement.
More specifically, it was highlighted that shortcomings have been identified in the right to move and reside in the member states, the freedom of movement of workers and the freedom of establishment, among others.
The EU already sent a formal notice to the UK in this context back in 2020. However, several points have remained unaddressed, causing difficulties for EU citizens who reside in the UK under the Withdrawal Agreement and their family members.
Now that the Commission has sent a reasoned opinion, the UK has two months to respond to it as well as take all the necessary measures. If the UK fails to do so, the Commission can then refer the case to the EU Court of Justice.
A total of 76 organisations who support the rights of the EU citizens have called on the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reform the EU Settlement Scheme and grant more rights to them.
The organisations sent a letter to the PM requiring that the EU Settlement Scheme backlog be cleared.
In addition to the above-mentioned, the organisations urged the government to fix the “broken immigration system and to change the approach to late applications to the EU Settlement Scheme.
