Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now? Mobility And Article 50

Brexit has become a reality: the UK government recently triggered article 50 of the EU Treaty, officially starting the UK's withdrawal procedure from the EU.

The aftermath of this initiation is likely to be disruptive: many expect new dynamics to emerge and constraints to make themselves known. However, as with any large shift—be it political, economic, or something else—there are opportunities worth focusing on as well. In this article, I will look at how Brexit affects issues of worker mobility, and what good there is to be had from this upending of the status quo.

Over there

On 6 April 2017, significant changes to the UK Immigration Rules for Tier 2 employer-sponsored migrants came into force. These changes significantly increase costs to UK employers when they sponsor non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals to work in the UK: more specifically, minimum salary thresholds are higher, and additional and increased charges have been introduced. The changes will undoubtedly affect short- and long-term planning and decision-making within the private and public sectors, as well as have cost and resourcing implications for employers who rely on non-EEA nationals to support UK operations.

In other words: organisations in the UK may be rethinking how many EU workers they want to hire or keep.

UK (future) pensioners—but EU pensioners too—might be affected as well, with their careers and pension acquisition rights potentially facing new constraints and threats. The free movement of persons, as inscribed in the EU Treaty, will certainly have to be scrutinised in order to avoid potential side effects for individuals and their families.

Over here

EU officials, for their part, are already focusing on those EU workers, students and citizens in the UK who might be affected, for example those who might be unable to stay, to...

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