EU citizens living in the UK will face increased border checks from the first day of Brexit in a tough approach that will spell the end of freedom of movement across Europe.
Under new plans from Boris Johnson, tighter criminality checks will be carried out on entrants to the UK from October 31 if there is a no-deal Brexit.
Campaigners have warned the move will create “Windrush” style chaos for the three million EU citizens living in the UK, most of whom have still to register for settled status after Brexit.
Downing Street announced the checks yesterday in a first step to end rules allowing EU nationals to live and work freely in the UK.
The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said: “Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on October 31 when the UK leaves the EU.
“So, for example, we will introduce immediately much tougher criminality rules for people entering the UK.”
Further details will be set out by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Priti Patel shortly, she added.
Under the withdrawal agreement negotiated by Theresa May, freedom of movement would have stayed for a two-year transition period and would allow EU citizens to stay in the UK for three months before having to apply for a longer stay.
But those options have been ditched for a hard new approach.
If the UK imposes limits on movement after a hard Brexit, it could be expected that the EU will impose the same restrictions that would affect the 1.3million Brits abroad who have made their home in Europe.
A spokesman for European citizens group The3Million drew comparisons with the Windrush scandal when British subjects who lived for years in the UK after arriving from the Caribbean were wrongly detained and some deported as part of an immigration crackdown.
He said: “We demand that the PM delivers on his promises to EU immigrants rather than creating the toxic soil for a large-scale Windrush scandal by treating us as ‘guilty until proven innocent’.”
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said: “Imposing harsh immigration rules on EU nationals will directly contradict Boris Johnson’s assurances made to them on the steps of Downing Street.
SNP MP Stuart McDonald said: “The UK Government is much more concerned about appeasing the hard right of the Tory party than delivering a workable immigration policy.
“Scotland has benefited greatly from freedom of movement and our economy needs immigration to thrive. Any plans to end this are economically and socially illiterate.”
