



Two bills regarding the rights of British nationals who live in Cyprus were discussed by the Labour Committee of the Cypriot House recently.

The two pieces of legislation aim to safeguard the rights currently enjoyed by Britons living in Cyprus after the United Kingdom eventually leaves the European Union.

According to media reports, the first bill that was approved and sent forward by the Parliamentary Committee secures the same rights for British subjects as those currently enjoyed by EU citizens.

These include the right to freedom of movement and being able to live and work in Cyprus without any obstacles, as Britons currently do.

The second bill refers to the financial aspects of Brexit; specifically, it safeguards the rights of those Britons who are eligible to receive or have already been receiving state benefits, such as the Minimum Guaranteed Income (MGI).

If this bill is voted on by Cypriot MPs at a later stage, Britons who live in Cyprus will continue to enjoy the same access to Cyprus’ welfare state payments, such as the MGI.

Cypriot officials had declared earlier this year that Cyprus will continue to offer to Britons the same rights they now enjoy as EU citizens, provided that the UK does the same for Cypriot nationals who live in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

London has already pledged that it will guarantee the rights of all EU citizens, including Cypriots, who live in the UK; however, some legal uncertainty still remains, primarily in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.



