Priti Patel says British citizens living in the EU five years after Brexit vote are being denied work and healthcare

  • Priti Patel spoke to the Telegraph in interview on fifth anniversary of Brexit vote
  • She said UK citizens in EU countries were having life made difficult after Brexit
  • The Home Secretary urged the EU to treat UK citizens 'fairly' as 'UK has for EU' 

Priti Patel has today claimed that British citizens living in the EU are being denied work and healthcare, five years after the UK's Brexit vote.

The Home Secretary said some expats were being subjected to over-the-top border checks.

She said others were facing short windows to submit residency applications and issues with paperwork.

Today she called for British citizens living in EU countries to be treated 'fairly', as 'the UK has done for EU citizens'.

Speaking to the Telegraph, on the day that Britain marked five years since it voted to leave the EU, Ms Patel said: 'We are aware that some UK nationals in the EU have faced disruption on boarding and entry to the EU... 

'...And there have been a number of reported instances of UK nationals in the EU being asked for residence documents they do not need to hold, being prevented from accessing benefits and services, and having trouble with their right to work.

The Home Secretary (pictured) took aim at European countries who she claiming are making life difficult for individual expats with over-the-top border checks and paperwork issues

The Home Secretary (pictured) took aim at European countries who she claiming are making life difficult for individual expats with over-the-top border checks and paperwork issues

Boris Johnson says leaving the EU will help us bounce back from Covid pandemic 

Brexit will help us to bounce back from the pandemic, Boris Johnson has vowed in a statement to mark the five-year anniversary of our vote to leave the EU.

The Prime Minister pledged to 'seize the true potential of our regained sovereignty' to 'unite and level up' the UK.

The referendum saw 52 per cent vote to Leave, prompting the resignation of Remain-backing prime minister David Cameron

The wrangling that followed brought down his successor, Theresa May.

But Mr Johnson's offer of an 'oven-ready' deal helped him to secure an 80-seat majority in the 2019 election. 

Marking the occasion that began his journey to No 10, he said: 'Five years ago the British people made the momentous decision to leave the European Union and take back control of our destiny.

'We've already reclaimed our money, laws, borders and waters. 

'We've installed a new points-based system for immigration, delivered the fastest vaccine rollout anywhere in Europe, negotiated trade deals with the EU and 68 other countries – including our first post-Brexit free trade agreement with Australia – and we've just begun negotiations to join the £9trillion Pacific trade area.

'Now, as we recover from this pandemic, we will seize the true potential of our regained sovereignty to unite and level up our whole United Kingdom. 

'With control over our regulations and subsidies... we will spur innovation, jobs and renewal across every part of our country.

'The decision to leave the EU may now be part of our history, but our clear mission is to utilise the freedoms it brings to shape a better future for our people.' 

Not everyone marked the anniversary with such warm words. 

The pro-European Tory grandee Lord Heseltine claimed the outlook for Britain was 'ominous', with the Northern Ireland peace process under real threat.

'As we attempt to recover from the worst financial crisis for 300 years, the reality of Brexit is starting to hit home,' he said.

 

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'It is only right that the EU uphold their obligations on citizens' rights, just as the UK has done for EU citizens in the UK.'  

It comes after reports last month revealed how Britons in Europe are being denied access to bank accounts, jobs, healthcare and university places due to post-Brexit red tape - even though access to those services is guaranteed under the withdrawal agreement.

Those living in Spain, Italy and France say they have been hit by new rules which are poorly understood by local officials who are now demanding they produce documents which are difficult or impossible for them to obtain.

One expat living in Spain who spoke to MailOnline said people applying for new TIE residency cards are having to wait seven months to get one. While stuck in the queue, they are told the application forms can be used in place of the card itself.

But in one case, a bank refused to let a newly-arrived Briton open an account using the application form - meaning he was unable to get a phone contract or rent a property.

The delay lasted for around a month before he was able to open an account with a different bank.

The source added that many Britons are also experiencing problems at the UK border while trying to depart for Spain because British guards do not recognise the new residency applications and are refusing to accept them as proof.

Earlier this year, a group of Spanish officials in Alicante airport turned 40 British expats around and sent them home because of the same issue.

The Britons had boarded a flight in Manchester - which is permitted under Covid rules which allow people to travel to their country of residence - on March 29 expecting to be allowed to enter Spain using their application papers.

But upon arrival, officials at the Spanish border told them the applications did not count and sent them home on the same plane they had arrived on.

Passengers said 'obstructive' border guards flanked by armed police had insisted that only the card itself was valid for entry.

The concern among ex-pats in EU countries is not a new one, and was the subject of a protest in Malaga in 2019. 

British people living in the Spanish city took to the streets that year claiming they had been 'forgotten about' in Brexit, as they raised concerns about losing access to services such as healthcare.

Spain is home to around 300,000 British citizens. 

Meanwhile, Ms Patel, in her interview with the Telegraph, spoke about the UK's own EU Settlement Scheme, which allows EU citizens living in the UK to apply to stay in the wake of Brexit.

Around 5.6million EU citizens have already applied for residency rights since it was launched two years ago, with around 95 per cent granted the right to stay. 

The concern among ex-pats in EU countries is not a new one, and was the subject of a protest in Malaga in 2019 (pictured)

The concern among ex-pats in EU countries is not a new one, and was the subject of a protest in Malaga in 2019 (pictured)

However the deadline for the scheme is now fast approaching, with applications having to be made by June 30.

In her interview with the Telegraph, she said: 'The UK's approach is very generous.

'Our EU settlement scheme has been open for more than two years. Many EU countries have an application window of 12 months or less; France's is currently open for less than nine months.'

She also urged EU citizens wishing to apply to stay in the UK to apply for the scheme within seven days.

However she promised a  'compassionate and proportionate' approach for those who missed the deadline due to a 'reasonable' explanation.

It comes as Boris Johnson vowed that 'Brexit will help us to bounce back from the pandemic' in a statement to mark the five-year anniversary of our vote to leave the EU.

The Prime Minister pledged to 'seize the true potential of our regained sovereignty' to 'unite and level up' the UK.

The referendum saw 52 per cent vote to Leave, prompting the resignation of Remain-backing prime minister David Cameron

The wrangling that followed brought down his successor, Theresa May.

Brexit will help us to bounce back from the pandemic, Boris Johnson has vowed in a statement to mark the five-year anniversary of our vote to leave the EU

Brexit will help us to bounce back from the pandemic, Boris Johnson has vowed in a statement to mark the five-year anniversary of our vote to leave the EU

The referendum saw 52 per cent vote to Leave, prompting the resignation of Remain-backing prime minister David Cameron

The referendum saw 52 per cent vote to Leave, prompting the resignation of Remain-backing prime minister David Cameron

But Mr Johnson's offer of an 'oven-ready' deal helped him to secure an 80-seat majority in the 2019 election. 

Marking the occasion that began his journey to No 10, he said: 'Five years ago the British people made the momentous decision to leave the European Union and take back control of our destiny.

'We've already reclaimed our money, laws, borders and waters. 

'We've installed a new points-based system for immigration, delivered the fastest vaccine rollout anywhere in Europe, negotiated trade deals with the EU and 68 other countries – including our first post-Brexit free trade agreement with Australia – and we've just begun negotiations to join the £9trillion Pacific trade area.

'Now, as we recover from this pandemic, we will seize the true potential of our regained sovereignty to unite and level up our whole United Kingdom. 

'With control over our regulations and subsidies... we will spur innovation, jobs and renewal across every part of our country.

'The decision to leave the EU may now be part of our history, but our clear mission is to utilise the freedoms it brings to shape a better future for our people.' 

Not everyone marked the anniversary with such warm words. 

The pro-European Tory grandee Lord Heseltine claimed the outlook for Britain was 'ominous', with the Northern Ireland peace process under real threat.

'As we attempt to recover from the worst financial crisis for 300 years, the reality of Brexit is starting to hit home,' he said.

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