Brexit May's Brexit transition demand 'would penalise EU citizens' Unthinkable for EU to agree to PM’s key demand on citizens’ rights, says Verhofstadt Play Video 0:41 European Brexit coordinator says transition demands 'would demonise EU citizens' – videoTheresa May’s demand that EU nationals coming to the UK during a Brexit transition deal should enjoy fewer rights than those already in the country would amount to “penalising citizens”, Guy Verhofstadt has said. Verhofstadt said the European parliament was “very worried” at the idea of such a reduction in citizens’ rights, calling it “a bureaucratic nightmare”. Asked why there could be no change to citizens’ rights during a transition period, he said: “Because transition is simply the continuation of the existing situation. “There will be something, certainly, about financial services, but there will then also be something about regulatory equivalence. It originally quoted Verhofstadt as warning about demonising EU citizens during a transition phase.

Source: The Guardian February 18, 2018 12:59 UTC