European Union citizens seeking a job in the United Kingdom have been placed in an immigration detention center after it was found upon arrival at the UK airport that they did not have an entry visa. Since Brexit, the same immigration rules apply to EU citizens as they apply to people from other countries.
She drew attention to this case, as a number of them complained about the way they were treated in airport detention rooms or in detention centers. Italian L said The Republic She had to hand over all of her personal belongings, including her phone, at the deportation center in Colnbrook. And the at Watchman Two Spanish women said they were held in the Jarles Wood Detention Center in Bedfordshire, where they had to stay in their rooms due to fears of an outbreak of the Coronavirus.
One Spanish woman believed that as an EU citizen, she could look for work in the UK because she had previously worked in the UK. On arrival at London’s Gatwick Airport, she was told that this was not the case. A woman from Bilbao wanted to find a job in the United Kingdom and then return to Spain and apply for a residence permit. The Italian wanted to work as an au pair.
Unclear rules
According to the UK Home Office, the rules are clear and easy to access online. The rules state that upon entering the UK you must prove that you have the right of abode, but also state that you can stay in the UK without a visa for meetings, interviews and contract negotiations. According to a British NGO dealing with immigration, the rules and their enforcement are not clear enough.
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A European Commission spokesman said the length of detention was particularly worrying, but also indicated that there were only a few European Union citizens and that it was mainly about the consulate. to me The Republic It involved a few dozen cases, originating from Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania, among others, a news site Politico Talking about Thirty cases And detention can sometimes last for up to seven days due to the lack of flights in the epidemic.
In a letter, several members of the European Parliament called on the commission to increase the protest, describing the arrest as disproportionate. A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government was committed to both the letter and the spirit of the agreements with the European Union.
A copy of this article also appeared in NRC Handelsblad on May 15, 2021
A copy of this article also appeared in the NRC on the morning of May 15, 2021
