Revised Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Reached by European Union/UK Government; UK Parliament Scheduled to Vote Tomorrow

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At a Glance

• The European Union and the UK Government have agreed to a revised Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
• The revised deal addresses the issues pertaining to the Irish border that kept the prior agreement from being approved in the UK Parliament. The sections of the agreement that cover the free movement of people remain the same.
• The UK Parliament is scheduled to vote on the revised deal on Saturday, October 19, 2019.
• If the deal is not approved, UK law requires that an extension to the Brexit date be requested. Any extension must also be formally approved by the European Union.

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The situation

The UK Government and EU representatives have agreed to a revised version of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The new draft agreement seeks to address the issues pertaining the Irish border with the United Kingdom that have been the primary drivers for the UK Parliament's repeated rejections of the prior agreement. The UK Parliament is scheduled to vote on the revised deal on Saturday, October 19, 2019. If the deal is not approved, UK law requires that an extension to the Brexit date be requested. Any extension must also be formally approved by the European Union.

Impact

• The provisions of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement covering the free movement of people, including a transitional period through the end of 2020, remain unchanged in the new version.
• Employers are advised to continue working on contingency plans in case of a no-deal Brexit on October 31, 2019.

Looking ahead

Fragomen will be closely monitoring the vote and on Monday will provide commentary and further advice on the practical steps that employers can take to prepare for Brexit.

Brexit has been an incredibly complex and uncertain political issue that carries risks to your business. Please contact a Fragomen immigration professional for assistance in planning contingency arrangements in a single project.

For more information, please visit Fragomen's dedicated Brexit site, which contains news, FAQs, and analysis/commentary in the form of blogs, videos, webcasts and events.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected] and [email protected].