Global Immigration Alert: Europe

Earlier this month, the European Parliament gathered to discuss the Situation and Rights of EU Citizens in the UK. The session was chaired by Guy Verhofstaft, the European Parliament's Chief Brexit Negotiator; Claude Moraes MEP, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; Cecilia Wilkstrom MEP, Chair of the Committee on Petitions; and Renate Weber MEP, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. With more than 200 attendees, the hearing was an extensive 2.5 hour session ensuring that a diversity of views on the impact of Brexit and solutions for the protection of rights of EU nationals in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU were heard.

Julia Onslow-Cole, who is Partner and Legal Markets Leader and Head of Global Immigration at PwC represented the voice of business, advising the Parliament on the net-economic contribution made by migrants in the UK and the reliance by some sectors on EU migration due to skills shortages in the UK.

Other experts giving evidence at the event included Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economic and Public Policy Kings College in London; Jan Doerfel, Immigration Barrister; Charlie Jeffrey, University of Edinburgh; and Anne-Laure Donskoy representative of The 3 Million Group.

Please see below link to the section of the session which includes the PwC contribution delivered by Julia Onslow-Cole:

https://audiovisual.europarl.europa.eu/AssetDetail.aspx?id=69d2b095-60c1-40b8-a2df-a77000f764b2

What this means for you as an employer?

This hearing was an important contribution to the Brexit debate. It was clear from the session that the rights of citizens will be a paramount consideration in the debate, with attendees at the hearing agreeing a consensus that a deal on citizens’ rights should be concluded before any other elements of the Brexit deal are negotiated.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or our global immigration team for any further details.