Decades of high migration have brought millions of people to Britain’s shores. Many come to make the UK their home – working, raising families and becoming a permanent part of British society. Yet the political debate on immigration has recently tended to focus on the numbers of new immigrants coming into the country. This has had a distortive effect on the debate. Too little attention has been paid to migrants who are already here, and their pathway to citizenship. The means by which migrants make Britain their permanent home – indeed, become British citizens – is important. Yet for decades, the British citizenship system has lain unreformed.
The result of the European referendum has thrown this neglect into sharp relief. As Britain embarks upon negotiations to leave the European Union, there is no clarity on the future status and security of the 3 million citizens of other EU countries who live here. People who came to Britain legally and legitimately, who have built their lives here and contributed to British prosperity and culture, have no way of knowing whether they will be able to stay and on what terms.
In this report, we discuss the current status of EU citizens in Britain and their prospects as British withdrawal is triggered. Swift and fundamental reform is urgently needed, and we argue that all EU citizens who live here should automatically be granted indefinite leave to remain. We must recognise that European children who have been brought up in Britain, even if they do not have British nationality, will maintain an enduring connection to the country for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, the contribution that EU workers have made to the National Health Service especially must be recognised and safeguarded. The country’s social cohesion depends upon a comprehensive system that integrates the migrants who have made their lives here into the national population.
