UK Parliament passed a bill to empower the Theresa May government to kick-start the process to de-link the country from the European Union. The bill was passed without the amendment of the House of Lords meant to protect the rights of EU citizens already living in the UK. This development puts a question mark over the future of Portuguese citizens of Goan origin living in Britain. The May government had opposed the amendment on grounds that it was required as a bargaining chip to protect Britons who had migrated to other parts of the EU and risk being sent back. The second amendment to give Parliament a ‘meaningful vote’ on the final Brexit deal was also turned down by the House of Commons. The bill was then passed by the upper house without amendments. Once signed by the Queen, which is a formality, May will trigger Article 50 after which she has two years to complete the process of breaking free. The immediate worry is for EU citizens who had migrated to the UK for work and residency. The thread that they are hanging on to is an assurance from Brexit Secretary David Davis that he would take moral responsibility for guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens in the UK. It’s not much, but then, a thread is a thread.
