Free Movement to Continue During Transition Period

The situation

The European Commission has published the agreement reached by the European Union’s chief negotiator and the United Kingdom’s Brexit secretary that free movement rights will continue during the Brexit transition period, March 29, 2019 through December 31, 2020.

A closer look

• Free movement. Within the European Union, there is free movement of workers, goods, services and capital, which includes certain related citizens’ rights, such as the right to settle in another EU country. This concession is in line with a recent UK Home Office proposal.
  • Impact. Affected foreign nationals and employers now have confirmation of their rights, and have more time to plan for a post-Brexit strategy.

• Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom and the European Union have not yet reached agreement on the Northern Ireland border. Negotiators from both parties agree that Northern Ireland should remain in the customs union as an emergency fallback solution, if no alternative solution can be found.
  • Impact. This confirms the commitment of the United Kingdom to avoiding a hard border, including any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls.

Looking ahead

Fragomen will continue to report further segments of the transition agreement as they are announced.

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] / [email protected]