EU Citizens Arriving in U.K. During Brexit Transition Can Stay

(Bloomberg) -- EU migrants entering the U.K. during the Brexit transition period of about two years will be allowed to live, work and study as under current rules.

But when the U.K. finally exits the bloc they will face restrictions from bringing family members with them, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman James Slack said.

“We are taking back control of our borders when we leave the EU,” Slack said. “Once the implementation period is over we will have an immigration period of which we are in full control.”

The announcement is a watering down of May’s position last month in which she vowed to fight the EU to enforce a difference between rights for European nationals who arrive before Brexit day -- on March 29, 2019 -- compared with those coming during a transition.

Migrants staying for more than three months will have to register. After five years, migrants can apply for permission to remain. After the transition period, at some point in 2021, family members will have fewer rights. Currently a family member can come to the U.K. if a migrants earns at least 18,600 pounds ($26,000) a year and that could be in line to rise.

Slack said he expects other EU countries to have reciprocal arrangements with the EU. The government also said it’s looking at a “range of options” for a new framework on immigration, and that Brexit won’t end immigration from the EU.

--With assistance from Tim Ross and Robert Hutton

To contact the reporters on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net, Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Emma Ross-Thomas

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