At a meeting in the Italian parliament on 7 October, Roger Casale, founder and CEO of New Europeans UK, spoke about the need to build a new consensus around the challenges still facing EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe and how best to address these going forwards.
The meeting was organised by On.Massimo Ungaro, one of the MPs elected to represent Italians abroad. Introducing the meeting, Mr Ungaro said:
“My thanks to all those attending this meeting. Your presence will help bring the ongoing concerns of EU citizens in the UK and Britons in the EU to the attention of my colleagues the Italian parliament. We share these concerns.”
Referencing the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Citizens’ Rights in the UK parliament (for which New Europeans acts as the Secretariat), Roger Casale said:
“From the perspective of EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe, Brexit is far from done.”
“I am particularly concerned about the high percentage of EU citizens in the EU who have so far received only pre-settled status in the UK and will need to reapply before they can permanently secure their right to remain in Britain.”
“It is also clear from our work with marginalised groups of EU citizens in the UK that many older EU citizens, for example, may have missed the deadline to apply to the scheme.”
“We also need to continue to campaign for the rights of Britons in the EU and EEA member states, particularly their right to free movement.”
On. Massimo Ungaro thanked those present for their interventions and promised to raise their concerns with parliamentary colleagues and diplomatic channels.
The meeting also heard testimonies from Anna Cambiaggi, Families Unite in the UK, Dimitri Scarlato, the 3m, and Elena Remigi, author of In Limbo.
A follow-up meeting with On. Massimo Ungaro and others will take place later this year in the UK parliament under the auspices of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Citizens Rights.