The UK has reached an agreement with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (the EEA EFTA states) to protect citizens’ rights in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
The agreement upholds British Prime Minister Theresa May’s commitment from October 2018 that the rights of UK citizens in the EEA EFTA countries as well as those of citizens from those countries living in the UK would be protected in the event that the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.
In December, the Department for Exiting the European Union published a separation agreement with the three states, which covers citizens’ rights as well as other separation issues. This separation agreement will apply if the Withdrawal Agreement is agreed with the EU. The citizens’ rights part of the EEA EFTA separation agreement broadly mirrors the arrangements agreed with the European Union.
Together these agreements will provide EEA EFTA nationals living in the UK and UK nationals living in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein with certainty about their rights going forward, ensuring that they can continue living their lives broadly as they do now.
Article published 11th February 2019