Sadiq Khan: give EU citizens 'cast-iron guarantee' they can stay in UK

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has stepped up calls for the British government to offer a “cast-iron guarantee” to EU nationals on their right to remain in the UK after Brexit.

Speaking at an event in Brussels, the London mayor said an offer to 3.3 million EU nationals, 1 million of whom are Londoners, would be “the perfect gesture of goodwill” and urged the rest of the EU to make the same move.

Khan is visiting the EU capital the day before the British government plans to trigger the two-year divorce process that will end Britain’s EU membership in 2019.

During his visit he is likely to tell EU leaders that “a bad Brexit” would harm the rest of the EU. “A bad Brexit deal that hurts London would hurt the European Union too,” he told an audience attending a Politico event on Tuesday. He evoked supply chain disruptions and businesses quitting London for New York or Singapore, rather than heading to Paris or Frankfurt. “A hard Brexit really is a lose-lose situation,” he added.

Khan will meet Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, and Antonio Tajani, the president of the European parliament. His warnings against a hard Brexit came with a warm tribute to the EU that will go down well with this audience. Speaking days after EU leaders, minus the British prime minister, celebrated 60 years of European unity, Khan praised the European project, describing it as the foundation for peace and a symbol that countries could work together. “In London we will always consider ourselves part of the European family,” he added.

EU officials are likely to be sympathetic to his call to guarantee the rights of EU nationals, including 1 million-plus British citizens living on the continent. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, has said it is one of his top priorities and wants to resolve the status of EU citizens by the end of the year. But beyond sweeping declarations, the reality is complex. Brexit negotiators must cut through a legal minefield, on the employment, health and social security rights of the 4.5 million affected citizens. One thorny question is how those rights can be guaranteed when the UK is determined to leave the jurisdiction of the European court of justice.

The London mayor said the government had given the “impression of listening” to London’s concerns. The capital “wanted and needed immigration” he said, calling for a flexible immigration policy, such as a system of regional work permits after Brexit.

He opened the speech by calling for a moment’s silence for the victims of the last week’s attacks on Westminster, and evoked the memory of atrocities in Brussels and other European cities. Later on Tuesday he travels to Paris to meet the city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo.