EU under fire from British expats left out of Brexit legal advice scheme

The European Commission has been criticised for funding legal advice about Brexit for EU27 citizens living in Britain – but not offering the service to British expats on the continent.

The commission’s representation in the UK is paying for solicitors to tour the country speaking to the three million EU27 citizens in a bid to ease their fears about Brexit.

They will inform EU citizens about what rights they will keep, how to apply for ‘settled status’ with the UK government and how they can exercise their right to vote in next year’s European Parliament elections.

The “politically neutral” advice will be offered by members of the Law Centres Network at a series of public meetings to be held until next March.

“The result of the referendum on the United Kingdom’s EU membership has created uncertainty in the lives of EU27 citizens in the UK,” states a brochure for the scheme.

“Many have been asking questions about the application of EU law, what their EU rights are now and what they are going to be in the future. The contents of the Draft Withdrawal Agreement are not well-known by EU citizens in the UK.

“Local community and diaspora organisations, charities and volunteers play a key role in providing information to EU27 citizens and many such organisations hold information sessions for their members.

“The European Commission Representation in the UK would like to support this effort by offering contracted solicitors, through the Law Centres Network, to attend your forthcoming events on EU citizens’ rights.”

The group representing the 1.3m British citizens living in the EU27 countries are furious the same offer has not been extended to them.

Fiona Godfrey, deputy chair of British in Europe, said: “We are still EU citizens and I’m still buying stuff in the EU and paying VAT which is used to fund the EU budget.”

Laura Shields, the spokesperson for the same group, pointed out that there are currently only five staff in the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office available to help British citizens living in the EU 27.

She said the fact British citizens are being left out of the EU advice scheme is proof that “no one really has our backs.”

Another British citizen living in France wrote on Twitter: “Nobody cares about us, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change.”

Despite their protests, the European commission insisted it was the job of member states and the UK government to provide British expats with advice.

A spokesperson told Yahoo: “While the Commission can provide general information through its Representations, Europe Direct Information Centres, Europe Direct Call Centre, etc. there is no dedicated budget foreseen at this stage for other Representations in the EU27.

“This is mainly for the member states / embassies and indeed the UK government.”