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Britons in Europe are facing an increasingly uncertain future because of the threat of a no-deal Brexit and Brussels’ failure to spell out the rules that will apply after the UK leaves the EU, a leading law firm warned today.

Fragomen, which advises businesses and individuals on immigration issues, said that British citizens would be treated as “third-party nationals” once the UK quits the EU and become subject to the 27 different immigration systems operated by the remaining members.

They would be required to comply with “different rules on length of stay, salaries, qualifications and good character” depending on which country they were in. Refusals or potentially lengthy delays before visas were granted were possible and there was no guarantee that spouses or partners would be able to work.

The firm said that the problems, which would also result in higher employment costs for businesses hiring Britons, were being compounded by a lack of clarity from the EU about the regulations that would apply and the growing risk that there would be no transition period.

​Caron Pope, Fragomen’s managing partner, said: “The heightened prospect of no deal is worrying our clients, not least because of the impact on their people in Europe.

"The EU need to get a grip of it and say how they will be treated. We can’t believe that British people will be sent packing, but we do need to know the terms and process that will allow them to stay.

“From an immigration perspective, the UK has built technology, created processes, published law. We haven’t seen any of that from Europe.

"How will British people who need to work in Europe get their permission? Will they need to wait months for a work permit, like non-Europeans do in a lot of European locations? Should they be ready to be told their partners can’t work in countries like France and Belgium if they aren’t married? What will the cost be? We need answers now.”

Fragomen said that examples of the different rules that applied to non-EU nationals included a requirement in Belgium and Luxembourg for spouses to obtain special permission to undertake employment.

France did not regard an unmarried partner as part of a person’s family.

Ms Pope said multinationals which were already used to coping with such rules for American, Indian, Chinese or other non-European staff should be able to cope.

But “smaller firms will suffer” and all businesses would face more costs, delays, and time spent preparing and staying compliant with the rules.

A transition period would give firms time to adjust, but “a little over six months until Brexit doesn’t give our clients or their employees much time to plan as it is. Right now companies and British people in Europe can only worry.”