Legal News

The former Attorney General Dominic Grieve has said that if the UK exited Europe, around two million UK nationals working in the EU would become illegal immigrants “overnight”.

The Guardian reports that Mr Grieve warns that a UK exit from the EU would cause more problems than it solves.

Mr Grieve has attacked Eurosceptics and those wishing to ”tear up” the UK’s international treaty obligations, including withdrawing from the EU and the European Court of Human Rights.

The Justice Minister Chris Grayling has said he would consider withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights and replacing the court at Strasbourg with the UK’s Supreme Court as the highest court in the UK.

The Home Secretary Theresa May has at times struggled to deport those suspected of having links to terrorist groups, convicted criminals who have served their sentences in the UK and failed asylum seekers, after successful appeals against deportation from the UK at the court in Strasbourg.

Many appeals against deportation have been based on Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which grants the eight to a family life.

The Conservative Party election manifesto is expected to contain a pledge to replace the Strasbourg court’s jurisdiction over the UK with the Supreme Court.

Prime Minister David Cameron has repeatedly pledged to give the UK electorate an in-out vote on EU membership in 2017. Mr Cameron has also repeatedly promised to renegotiate the UK’s membership of the EU, but attempts to restrict EU immigration to the UK have foundered on the fundamental principle of freedom of movement within EU member states.

Mr Grieve was delivering a lecture in London entitled Britain’s International Obligations – Fetters or Keys? when he warned about the consequences of a “Brexit”, with Britain exiting the EU.

Mr Grieve said:

“The requirements of any free trade agreement would make British removal from the clauses dealing with freedom of movement impossible, with the curious consequence that the single biggest cause of domestic irritation with the EU – immigration – would remain unaltered.

“But without its maintenance, some two million UK citizens working in EU countries would find themselves becoming illegal immigrants overnight.”

The booming economy in the UK has meant increasing numbers of EU migrants coming to the UK to settle and work, and a rise in net migration.

Out of the current UK workforce of just over 30 million, around 3 million are estimated to be EU migrants – many of whom work in the NHS or construction, as well as taking low-paid jobs in agriculture and catering.

Duncan Lewis Immigration Lawyers

Duncan Lewis is one of the UK’s leading firms of immigration specialists and can advise migrants from the UK on a wide range of immigration law, including marriage in the UK, British citizenship, Housing Benefit and access to other welfare benefits, such as child benefits and out-of-work benefits.

Duncan Lewis is also a leading firm of Legal Aid solicitors able to advise migrants from outside the EU on:

• Asylum in the UK
• Asylum appeals
• Entrepreneur visas
• Fast-track detention process
• Illegal entry to the UK
• Right to work in the UK
• Student visas
• Visa overstays.

For expert legal advice on UK immigration law, call Duncan Lewis immigration lawyers on 020 7923 4020.