British Nationals Abroad: EU Citizenship

(asked on 22nd February 2018) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any UK minister, official, or embassy staff member has been in communication with any Netherlands minister, official, or embassy staff member, either directly or via a representative, regarding an interim appeal to the decision by the District Court of Amsterdam (case number: C/13/640244/KG ZA 17-1327) to refer the question of whether UK citizens living in EU countries are entitled to keep their EU citizenship rights after Brexit to the Court of Justice of the European Union; and if so, what was the outcome of those discussions.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 5th March 2018

British Government officials have had limited conversations with Dutch counterparts on this case, principally in order to ascertain the factual details.

As regards the issue of UK citizens living in the EU after our exit from the European Union, the Government has secured a deal that will safeguard their rights, so that they can continue living their lives broadly as they do now. Our view is that EU treaty provisions state that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.

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