Brussels - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has described UK plans to ensure the rights of EU citizens in Britain after Brexit as "a good start". However, she said there were "many, many other questions" about Brexit and there was "still a lot to do". The UK proposal was unveiled by Prime Minister Theresa May at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. It would grant EU migrants who had lived in the UK for five years at the cut-off date new "UK settled status". The cut-off date has yet to be announced, but will be some time between March 2017 and the moment the UK actually leaves the European Union. Those who qualify for settled status will be allowed to stay in the country and access health, education and other benefits. The plan would affect 3.2 million EU citizens now living in the UK, around a million of whom have lived in the country less than five years. The exact details on what happens to those million people unclear, but it is thought some will be allowed to build up their years to allow them to apply for settled status. Others will be able to use a grace period - expected to be about two years - to regularise their status by applying under post-Brexit rules.
Their rights - and the rights of UK citizens living in the rest of the EU - are among the thorny issues that have to be resolved early on in Brexit talks, along with the UK's divorce bill and the Northern Ireland border.
The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker described the offer as a "first step", but added it was "not sufficient". Mrs Merkel was more positive, calling it a "good start".
"Theresa May made clear today that EU citizens who have been in Great Britain for five years can keep their full rights. That's a good start," she said at the end of Thursday's talks.
"But of course there are many, many other questions about Brexit - about finances, about the relationship with Ireland - which means we still have a lot to do until October."
She insisted that Brexit was not the focus of the summit - the UK's split from the EU is being negotiated separately.(FA)
