13 - THE JUDICIAL BRANCH IN THE UK

 

TURN ON SUBTITLES WHILE WATCHING:

 

12 - BREXIT

GROUP WORK:
WHAT WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE IN THE U.K. FOR VISITING EUROPEANS?

1. TRAVEL (AND PASSPORT)

During the transition period, which is due to run from February 1, 2020, to January 1, 2021, the UK will remain effectively a member of the EU, but without representatives in its institutions.That means all travel arrangements will stay exactly the same for 2020 when it comes to the EU.

What about after the transition period? From the beginning of 2021, things could change, and a lot of it depends on the finer details of the deal negotiated in the coming 11 months. The Government has said there are no current plans to require visas for short-term travel between the UK and the rest of Europe. Current plans are expected to allow UK citizens to visit EU counties for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

If you need to stay longer, you may need a visa or permit. You should check each country’s travel advice page for information on how to get the required access.

After Brexit, you may also need to:

Show a return or onward ticket

Show you have enough money to stay

Use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing

The exception will be Ireland - travel to and from Ireland will not change after Brexit, you will still be able to visit and work in Ireland as before.

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2. HEALTHCARE
How will Brexit affect me travelling to another country?By the end of 2020, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - which has enabled Britons to have access to EU healthcare in an emergency - will no longer work.Travellers are advised to ensure they have adequate travel insurance for the full duration of their trip, both in 2020 and Beyond.
What if I already live abroad? Things will remain the same until December 31 2020.After this point, some people will retain full entitlements to healthcare in the country where they live. Broadly, these groups are UK nationals living and working in the EU as of December 31 2020, who will continue to be entitled to healthcare in that country. British ex-pat pensioners will also continue to use their S1 form - the certificate that entitles them to healthcare in another EU country on the same basis as a resident of that country.

What about EU citizens living in the UK? According to official statistics, there were around 3.7 million EU nationals living in the UK in 2018. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, EU citizens already in the UK and those who arrive before 2021 will be allowed continued access to the NHS for free as long as they apply for "settled status". 

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3. STUDYING IN THE UK
The government hasn't yet formally decided whether the UK will continue to take part in this scheme in the future. But MPs voted against a clause that would have required the government to negotiate continuing full membership of the Erasmus programme after the end of the 11-month Brexit transition period.

A Department for Education official told BBC News: "The government is committed to continuing the academic relationship between the UK and the EU, including through the next Erasmus programme if it is in our interests to do so. The vote... does not change that. But a report from the House of Lords EU Committee warned the benefits of the programme would be very difficult to replicate with a national programme, that vocational education and training would stop and that leaving Erasmus would "disproportionately affect people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with medical needs or disabilities".

The Erasmus programme is run in seven-year cycles and the next one will be from 2021 to 2027. It is already the case that not all the countries that participate in the programme are EU members: for example, Turkey, Iceland, Norway and Serbia.

But even if the government decides it wants to participate in Erasmus after 2021, it may not be able to negotiate that in time for the start of the cycle, so there could be a period when such programmes are not available for UK participants.

"The Erasmus... programme has delivered and continues to deliver significant benefits to the UK and we need to ensure the positives of the programme are not lost as we move into the next stage," Jane Racz, the director of the Erasmus programme in the UK, told BBC News.

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4. LIVING AND WORKING IN THE U.K.
Working
Concerning European students who want to stay in the UK to study for a longer period of time several scenarios are possible:

It may be that the UK will agree to stay within the European single market; in that case, it is likely that European students would continue to be treated the same way as British students. Most importantly, that would mean that European students continue to pay only the lower tuition fees that also apply to British students. And for European students starting their studies in England in autumn 2020, the British government has confirmed that they will be treated like “home” students with regards to tuition fees and funding options.

In a “hard Brexit” scenario, it would be possible that European students would in the future be treated like non-European international students, meaning higher tuition fees.

In both cases it doesn’t mean that foreign students will no longer be accepted in the UK. However, laws and visa policies are handled by the government; and the current administration has also publicly considered plans to limit immigration, including student immigration. There may be future policies making it harder for foreigners to study in the United Kingdom.

Living

EU, EEA or Swiss citizens and their family members can apply through the EU Settlement Scheme in order to continue living in the UK beyond 30 June 2021. If successful, the applicant will be able to obtain permanent or temporary resident status.

The EEA includes all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Some individuals may have the right to remain in the United Kingdom without applying, for example Irish citizens or those who have a permanent residence permission.

When to apply:

Memberships to the EU Settlement Scheme are open. All individuals who meet the eligibility criteria can now apply.

The deadline for submitting the application is 30 June 2021.

The status obtained will depend on the date on which the application is submitted.

If the UK leaves the EU without an agreement

To submit the application, the applicant must already reside in the United Kingdom before leaving the EU. The deadline for submitting the application is December 31, 2020.

Costs:

Applying does not involve any cost.

If the applicant has faced expenses when submitting the application to the EU Settlement Scheme, he will be able to obtain a refund.

Who can apply?

Except for some cases, they will have to request:

EU, EEA or Swiss citizens

non-EU, EEA or Swiss citizens with EU, EEA or Swiss family members

The EEA includes all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Therefore, they must also request:

Citizens born in the United Kingdom but who do not have British citizenship - here you can check for any British citizenship in case of doubts

holders of a "permanent residence document" in the United Kingdom

family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens who do not have to apply, including Irish citizens

EU, EEA or Swiss citizens with a British family member.

·         Will I be able to keep on living in the United Kingdom after January 31, 2020, when the UK leaves the European Union?

Under the deal, EU nationals in the UK and Britons in the EU – plus family members – will retain residency and social security rights after Brexit. Freedom to move and live within the EU and UK will continue during a planned transition period. People will be allowed to stay when it ends and apply for permanent residency after five years.

·         What if, by the end of the transition period I haven't lived in the UK for five years?

You will still be able to acquire the right to permanent residency by completing five years living in the UK, as long as you are legally resident by the end of the transition period. This right can only be lost if you leave the country for a period of more than five years.

·         What if I miss the deadline for applying?

The agreement says applications should still be allowed within a reasonable time period, if there are reasonable grounds for missing the deadline. The UK Home Office (interior ministry) said in a statement in January 2020 that people who have "reasonable grounds" for missing the deadline will be given a "further opportunity to apply". It followed an earlier comment by a government minister that people who had not formalised their status by the deadline could "theoretically" be deported.

·         Will I be able to continue working in the UK?

 Yes, in general, you will have the same rights working in the UK as you have now, whether you are employed or self-employed. The agreement enshrines the principle of equal treatment between UK and EU citizens resident in each other's territories, in areas including employment, housing and education. Professional qualifications should continue to be recognised.

·         Will I still be able to leave and re-enter the UK whenever I choose?

 Yes, during the transition period, as long as you hold a valid passport or national identity card from issued by your country within the EU. After the transition period, from 1 January 2021 the UK government intends to implement a new immigration system.

·         I'm an EU citizen but I've never lived or worked in the UK and wish to apply after the transition period - what will be my rights?

This is not covered in the agreement. However, the Conservative government has made it clear it wants to reduce immigration to the UK and intends to end free movement for EU nationals as soon as possible. It has plans for a "points–based" immigration system for both EU and non-EU migrants, giving priority to those with skills.

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5. DRIVING LICENCE

11 - THE UK PRIME MINISTER TODAY

THE UK PRIME MINISTER TODAY

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

lesser
depends
commonly
leader
pressing
realized
vowed
resignation

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a new (1) ____________. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson became the UK's new Prime Minister yesterday after Theresa May announced her (2) ____________ in June. Mr Johnson, (3) ____________ known as Boris, (4) ____________ a childhood dream of becoming leader of the UK. It is reported that when he was eight, he told his parents he wanted to be king of the world. He now has the (5) ____________ role of Prime Minister but has a tough task ahead of him. His most (6) ____________ undertaking is to deliver Brexit and make sure Britain withdraws from the European Union. Mr Johnson has (7) ____________ to ensure this by October 31st. His political future (8) ____________ on this.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

residence
personal
dictates
roles
welfare
formally
key
promised

Boris Johnson had to go to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth before taking over as the UK's 77th Prime Minister. Tradition (9) ____________ that the Queen (10) ____________ asks any new appointee to form a new government. Johnson accepted and drove to 10 Downing Street - the official (11) ____________ of the British leader. His first job is to form his Cabinet - the people who will take up (12) ____________ decision-making (13) ____________ in the new UK government. Johnson said: "Though I am today building a great team of men and women, I will take (14) ____________ responsibility for the change I want to see." In his first speech to the nation as Prime Minister, he (15) ____________ to spend more money on the police, education and social (16) ____________.

The Prime Minister's Duties

1. The prime minister is responsible for all the decisions and policies of the British government.
2. He or she appoints government officials, such as members of the Cabinet.
3. He or she serves as the head of the Cabinet and sits on several Cabinet committees.
4. He or she manages, oversees, and organizes the work of government departments and agencies.
5. He or she serves as a liaison between the monarch and the government, keeping the monarch up-to-date on government business. He or she also recommends candidates for the monarch to appoint to the House of Lords, the judicial bench, and the clergy of the Church of England.
6. He or she is active in the House of Commons, often participating in debates, answering questions from fellow MPs, and making formal statements.
7. He or she is the leader of his or her political party and works to keep the other members in line.
8. He or she represents the United Kingdom internationally.