Citizens of Ireland and the United Kingdom living in each other's countries will not have to apply for residency rights to protect existing social and travel entitlements, the foreign office in London has confirmed.
The agreement reached in Brussels earlier this month "means the rights of Irish and British citizens under the Common Travel Area (CTA) are protected after the UK leaves the EU", the foreign office declared.
Irish and British nationals living in each other countries will not be required to apply for settled status to protect their entitlements in Ireland and the UK respectively, while the rights to work, study, access social security and public services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for Irish and UK nationals.
“There will be also be full protection and maintenance of the current arrangements for journeys between the Ireland and the UK,” it went on.
The CTA facilitates the principle of free movement for British and Irish citizens between the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The CTA was formed before either Ireland or the UK were members of the EU.
Social welfare
Under the CTA, Irish and UK nationals have: the right to enter and reside in each others’ state without being subject to a requirement to obtain permission; the right to work without being subject to a requirement to obtain permission; the right to access education; access to social welfare entitlements and benefits; access to health services; access to social housing; and the right to vote in local and parliamentary elections.
The British government has published guidance on Irish citizens’ rights in relation to Brexit.
An agreement reached earlier this month means the rights of Irish and British citizens under the CTA are protected after the UK leaves the EU.
This means that no Irish or British nationals will be required to apply for settled status to protect their entitlements in Ireland and the UK respectively.
The rights to work, study, access social security and public services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for Irish and UK nationals.
There will be also be full protection and maintenance of the current arrangements for journeys between the Ireland and the UK.
According to newly published documents from the UK foreign office, this includes movement across the Irish Border “protecting the uninhibited movement enjoyed today”.
Irish in UK
In a question and answer published on the gov.uk website, the foreign office told Irish nationals living in Britain: “Irish citizens residing in Great Britain do not need to do anything. Your rights under the CTA will be protected after the UK leaves the EU.”
People living in the Republic but working in Northern Ireland were told they will be protected after Brexit occurs because both countries “have now agreed that frontier workers should be protected under the withdrawal agreement.
“Under the definition agreed with the EU, a frontier worker shall be defined as a UK or EU citizen pursuing genuine and effective work as an employed or self-employed person in one or more host states, and who resides in another state, unless or until they no longer retain the status of a worker,” it said.