Prague, Oct 18 (CTK) – Brexit does not mean that Britain will throw out anyone from the country, British Ambassador to the Czech Republic Jan Thompson said in an interview with CTK on Wednesday.
She said the worries that people without British passports would be forced out of the country from one day to another was one of the biggest nonsenses she had heard.
She stressed that Britons did not want to owe anything to the EU and that they would pay all of their financial commitments.
“Sometimes people are worried that citizens from other countries would be thrown out of the country when it comes to the 30th March 2019,” Thompson said.
Of course this will not happen, she added.
“The idea that people would be thrown out of the country, that is just an illusion,” Thompson said.
London wants the rights of EU citizens living in Britain to remain the same as those of the Britons living in EU countries, she added.
The embassy estimated the number of Czechs living in Britain at 45,000.
“Most of them have been there a long time, they are professionals in good jobs, well integrated into the society in the UK,” Thompson said, adding that there was no sign of Czech citizens wanting to leave the country.
When it comes to the Britons living in the Czech Republic, Brexit has not aroused any major worries, Thompson said.
“We have not found huge increase of questions or concerns or people worried in terms of British citizens living here. We occasionally get couple of questions, but mostly they are confident that the Czech Republic will respect their rights, they feel comfortable, they feel protected,” she added.
The circumstances of Britain’s departure from the EU are being negotiated.
EU leaders said last week Brussels and London had not agreed on some major questions such as the financial arrangement.
“People say UK wants to leave without paying anything. We are not the kind of country that does not uphold its international obligations and commitments, we pay our bills,” Thompson said.
“Let ‘s say the UK wants to continue to participate in some EU programmes. If we’re gonna to continue to participate in those programmes we may need to pay something,” she added.
“Divorce is always difficult and there are always arguments about specific points in there,” Thompson said.
She said it was advantageous for the two sides to conclude the agreement eventually.
„We want to keep working on those issues, but instead of working on them from the inside we will work on them as the EU’s best friend and neighbour,” Thompson said.
