London,
12
March
2019
|
13:49
Europe/London

EU citizens turn out for EU Make Camden advice summit

Over 100 EU citizens came along to the EU Make Camden event last night, seeking advice about what their rights will be post-Brexit.

Community leaders on the panel, including Leader Georgia Gould and Councillor Jonathan Simpson, started off the night by discussing what Camden was doing to manage the impact of Brexit and what was being done to help EU residents.

Panel members then handed over to the audience for a Q&A session, answering questions about whether people should be considering applying for British citizenship, whether EU citizens will be able to vote in the future, if they will be able to travel outside of the UK in the future and what their rights will be within the UK post-Brexit.

You can watch the panel discussion and the Q&A session on our Facebook page.

Many present said they have lived in the UK for the majority of their lives and expressed concern about what would happen in the future.

"Every EU citizen in this borough is welcome and we value your contribution. You've shaped our history, you’ve shaped our communities, you have made Camden, London and this country the welcoming place that I hope it is.

"It's very clear from the conversations that all councillors have had that European residents are very concerned. As a council we've been very outspoken in our determination to continue to act and speak on behalf of our communities and businesses about what’s best for Camden."
Councillor Jonathan Simpson, Cabinet Member for Promoting Culture and Communities

The panel included immigration lawyer and special advisor to the European Commission Representation in the UK Christopher Desira, who was able to give legal advice to audience members, along with Florina Tideose from East European Resource Centre, a frontline information service for Eastern European migrants living in the UK, and Christiane Link from Disire, an organisation supporting EU citizens with a disability.

Camden’s European citizens can get useful information on their democratic rights and how to access our ID verification service, along with other guidance about Brexit at www.camden.gov.uk/Europe