Search
Contact
Login
Share this article
IMPACT – HIGH
What is the change? The government’s Brexit bill passed its final vote Monday night in Parliament, authorizing the government to trigger Article 50 Brexit procedures later in March. Neither of two amendments – one to protect existing EU migrants’ rights to remain in the U.K. and the second to guarantee Parliament a vote on the eventual Brexit deal – have been successful.
What does the change mean? The bill could receive “royal assent,” a final formality in the legislative process, as early as Tuesday. While Prime Minister Theresa May could theoretically invoke Article 50 as soon as assent is granted, she is expected to wait until the last week in March to officially notify the EU that the U.K. is withdrawing from the bloc.
Key dates:
Background: Late Monday evening, the House of Commons voted down two amendments that the House of Lords had proposed with backing from both Liberal and Labour peers as well as other prominent Remain supporters. One amendment would have guaranteed the status of EU citizens already living in the U.K.; the other would have given Parliament a vote on any final deal – or no deal – that is negotiated between the U.K. and the EU before the final separation. The bill then returned to the House of Lords, which recognized its inability to influence proceedings further and passed it without further amendments.
BAL Analysis: Formal Brexit procedures can now begin by the end of the month as anticipated, but defeat of the amendments means that the long-term status of Europeans remains unclear. May’s unwillingness to guarantee the right to remain ahead of official negotiations, despite strong moral and political arguments to do so, offers little comfort to the 3.2 million Europeans currently living in the U.K., although it is hoped that the government will adhere to its stated goal of seeking resolution of their status early in the two-year negotiation process.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@bal.com.
Copyright © 2017 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.
The U.S. Department of Labor has posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications. PERM Processing: As…
Immigrant visa issuance continued to climb in fiscal year 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic totals, according to recently published State…
EU member states’ ambassadors have agreed on a draft regulation that would let the EU suspend visa-free travel for countries…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced this week that it will implement a streamlined process to provide Employment…