Social workers among EU workers to lobby MPs over right to remain in UK

By Alan Jones20th February 2017News EnglandBrexit, Government / Politics, News England

Nurses, social workers and teaching assistants will be among EU workers lobbying MPs today over their right to remain in the UK.

The move is aimed at urging the Government to guarantee that citizens will be able to stay in this country post-Brexit.

Campaigners are pressing the Prime Minister to end the uncertainty facing the three million EU citizens living in the UK who were born elsewhere in Europe.

The campaign has been organised by civil rights groups the3million and the New Europeans, together with Unison.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “These millions of workers help keep the UK’s public services and economy going, but they’re being used as pawns by the Government.

“We want Theresa May to end their uncertainty by making it clear now they have the right to stay.”

The3million chief executive Nicolas Hatton said: “EU citizens who came to the UK in good faith have lived through stress and anxiety since the referendum. The Government has refused to grant them their rights of residence following Brexit.

“These are people, not bargaining chips, and they’ll be using this lobby to tell their MPs they deserve to be treated with fairness and dignity.”

Chief executive of New Europeans, Roger Casale said: “EU nationals in the UK must not be used as Brexit bargaining chips. Assurances that this will not be done look pretty weak after another Government ‘commitment’ – to resettle 3,000 refugee children – was jettisoned last week.

“We’ll be telling our MPs that we want our rights guaranteed now.”