Latest blog post(s) for " UK "

On 14 November British in Europe Chair, Jane Golding and Director, Fiona Godfrey, attended the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights hosted at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office...

It’s the end of an era for British in Europe as Kalba Meadows and Kathryn Dobson step down from the Administration Council after seven years.Both Kathryn and Kalba were driving forces behind...

Since the launch of the European Union funded Inform, Connect, Empower: Capacity Building for Charter Agents of Change (ICE) project on 1 March this year, we are now well on our way to...

We probably don’t need to tell you that the UK General Election date was announced yesterday and will take place on 4 July 2024. So you can finally make your voices heard.Some of you will already...

MINIMUM INCOME REQUIREMENT - ACT NOW!Paul Blomfield MP has put forward a Backbench Debate on the Increase to the MIR on TUESDAY 23 APRIL.Given that ALL of us will have a vote in the upcoming...

Our letter to the Home Office about the secondary legislation implementing MIR changes...As we told you back in January, we were devastated to see that the UK government proposed to raise the...

Many of you have given us positive feedback on the FAQs that we put up at the end of 2023 and which we are regularly updating.We went back to the Electoral Commission with some of the key issues...

“We registered the first day and since receiving confirmation have registered a proxy vote. So easy to do.”Three weeks have passed since UK citizens living abroad for more than 15 years got their...

“After being disenfranchised for so many years, I have literally, literally, just re-registered to vote. What a feeling! It’s so significant, it’s hard to put into words what this means to me.”(An...

Key points2 mn Brits living abroad regain right to vote in UK electionsOther democracies that allow votes for life include the USA, France, Italy and CanadaBritish in Europe partnering with...

British in Europe was devastated on 4 December to see that the UK government proposed to raise the minimum income requirement (MIR) to sponsor a non-UK family member to move to the UK from £18,600...

To register to vote in the UK, click HERE.British citizens living overseas have been given a big Christmas present this month with the news that we will be able to re-register to vote again in UK...

As you all know, there is a UK general election due in the next 14 months. Nobody knows when it will be but the smart money is on 2 May or sometime in October 2024, unless there’s a snap election...

As we reported on 25 October, there was great news on overseas voting rights as the draft Overseas Electors Regulations were laid before both houses of Parliament on 23 October. The draft SI...

As those of you who have been following our previous voting rights updates (including on the legislative timetable) will know, the UK government repealed the so-called 15-year rule in the...

The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has replied to the strong letter that the House of Lords European Affairs Committee sent to her on 25 May 2023, following the oral evidence given by British...

Jane GOLDING

8 August 2023

British in Europe has been engaging since December 2022 with civil servants in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), and also Baroness Scott, the minister responsible...

As we explain on our voting rights pages whilst the Elections Act 2022 repealed the so-called 15-year rule and restored voting rights to all UK citizens, secondary legislation is needed to...

There have been a couple of questions about the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights (SCCR) meeting this week here and in the FB group and page as to whether BiE was participating.The SCCR...

Following the oral evidence session on 16 May where our Co-Chair Jane Golding represented British in Europe, we are pleased to see that the committee has written a strong letter to the Home...

Huge thanks to everyone who took part in our survey on the voting experiences of UK citizens overseas. The survey closed on 4 March 2023. We received over 7100 completed replies (not bad for a...

British in Europe is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the great Harry Shindler OBE in Italy at the age of 101.Harry led a truly remarkable life and leaves as his legacy a lifetime of...

Please read the project outline for the project outline, team, financials and work phases.WHY DOES THIS PROJECT MATTER?“I was denied a vote in the most important referendum that has been held...

Reclaiming our votes: British in Europe starts work on the final steps to restoring voting rights for disenfranchised UK citizens overseas.Currently, an estimated 3.4 million UK citizens living...

British in Europe has received a reply to our letter dated 12 January 2022. We wrote to four Secretaries of State to explain that we were reluctantly closing our virtual doors since we were unable...

Britain’s exit from the European Union threatened the end of access to home fees for British nationals/family members of British nationals resident in the European Economic Area (EEA) and...

As BiE is now in the process of winding down, we want to make sure that our members have as much information as possible about how they can enforce their individual rights under the Withdrawal...

Since 2017 the right of UK nationals returning with non-UK family members has been a source of concern. While completely within the gift of the UK, and outside the remit of the Withdrawal...

British in Europe was formed in 2017 in response to the referendum in the UK on leaving the European Union.Since that time, we have advocated to protect the rights of the approximately 1.2 million...

UK citizens returning to the UK with their family members under the Surinder Singh grace periodGiven the confusion and complexity that surrounds the process for using the grace period, we have...

BACKGROUNDSince 2017 the right of UK nationals returning with non-UK family members has been a source of concern. While completely within the gift of the UK, and outside the remit of the...

Following oral evidence sessions with citizens’ rights experts on 25 May in which our Co-Chair, Jane Golding, gave evidence and the following submission of written evidence by BiE and other...

Following Grant Shapps' statement to Parliament regarding the removal of the quarantine requirements for UK-vaccinated residents, and the subsequent confirmation by No 10 that this would not...

On 25 May, our Co-Chair, Jane Golding, gave oral evidence to the House of Lords European Affairs Select Committee on the rights of UK citizens in the EU. This formed part of the committee’s...

We are delighted to announce that both Jane Golding and Fiona Godfrey have been awarded OBE's in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours:Jane Golding: Co-Chair, British in Europe & Chair, British in...

Despite promises of a grace period of 7 years for home fees at UK universities, we have found that there is widespread confusion within the universities as well as issues with the funding process....

Before and after the referendum, UK and EU leaders promised UK citizens living in the EU that our daily lives would not change. Their promises have not been kept. Our rights have been reduced and...

We have once more raised the issue of the right of return to the UK of non-UK family members in a letter to Secretary of State Priti Patel and Home Office Minister Kevin Foster, copying in FCDO...

Following recent reports into the treatment of EU nationals on entering the UK, British in Europe has written to the Prime Minister, Dominic Raab and Priti Patel to express our concern. Here is...

British in Europe statement in response to the Queen’s Speech which includes a provision to restore votes for life to overseas UK citizens:‘We fully support modernising the UK voting system, which...

SITTING COVID OUT AWAY FROM YOUR HOST STATE? DON’T LOSE YOUR RIGHTS OF RESIDENCEBecause of COVID a lot of UK nationals resident in the EU are spending much more time than usual away from home....

Since our blog post last November about UK issued EHICs, things have moved on a bit. Here we bring you up to date on current information and outline how you are covered from 1 January 2021 for...

The New Year, and the end of the Brexit transition period, has brought travel chaos for UK residents in the EU trying to return home. Britons around the EU have encountered difficulties, with...

British in Europe is relieved that there is agreement on the future relationship between the EU and UK as a failure to reach a deal would have had serious consequences for our families and friends...

We are hearing from British nationals resident in the EU who are stuck in the UK, a situation no-one needs at this time of year as transition ends.British in Europe contacted the Commission...

Update 22.12.21 - the EU Commission adopts Recommendation on EU coordinated approach to travel and transport in response to new variant of coronavirus in the UK in which they recommend:"Union...

If you have, or you're likely to apply for in the future, one of these disability and care benefits from the UK this is an important post for you. The benefits affected are:Disability Living...

This is a question that has come up many times over the last months: after the end of the transition period, how do I come back into my host country (or another Schengen country) after travelling...

British in Europe welcomes the latest report, from the Select Committee for the Future Negotiations, on the Implementation of the citizens’ rights chapter of the Withdrawal Agreement.Since three...

Do you have student children studying in another country where they do not yet have residency, or have friends who do? If so, this could be important information for you and them.For a small...

UPDATE 15/10/2020: Read our letter to the Home Secretary here.We have been working with peers in the House of Lords to put forward an amendment to the Immigration Bill on the right to return to...

British in Europe is delighted that members of the House of Lords voted this afternoon in support of amendment 11 to the Immigration Bill. Hundreds of UK citizens living in the European Economic...

As you might have seen, the Report Stage of the Immigration Bill opened in the House of Lords on Wednesday 30 September.Lady Hamwee introduced our amendment on the right to return to the UK with...

British in Europe have long been lobbying Westminster about issues affecting UK in EU within the UK Immigration Bill. This is crucial legislation for us as it removes our existing right to return...

Following the extraordinary events in the UK Parliament this week we have, along with the3million, published a statement calling for the PM to give a statement in the House confirming that the UK...

The immigration bill has reached the House of Lords where several members spoke on our behalf. Below are the two leading contributions from Baron Oates (Lib Dem)and Baroness Kennedy (Labour).We...

At the end of April 2020 British in Europe was once more asked by the UK Parliamentary Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union to provide evidence. We have already given oral...

The Prime Minister recently confirmed in the House of Commons that the UK will implement a period of quarantine/self-isolation by the end of May for all travellers arriving in the UK except for...

On the 30th March British in Europe and the3million wrote a joint letter to both the UK Government and the EU Commission requesting that representatives of our organisations be given a role on the...

The UK Government has today released details of the funds allocated to support UK Nationals in the EU which can be read here.BRITISH IN EUROPE STATEMENT Brexit is an unprecedented political and...

On 28 August 2019 Jeremy Morgan and Mireille Pouget of the3million met Ben Macpherson (centre), the Scottish Government Minister for Europe, to discuss citizens' rights for EU citizens in Scotland...

Last week the EU granted the UK another three month extension until 31 January 2020 and the next day, a new general election was announced.The outcome of the UK general election on 12 December is...

Today we are pleased to see that our recent meeting with Secretary of State Steve Barclay (below) has resulted in a clearly worded letter to Michel Barnier requesting the ringfencing of our rights...