Citizens Advice offer post-Brexit reassurance

Following the vote to leave the European Union, Citizens Advice want to emphasise that if you are a UK citizen living in the EU or travelling to the EU, your rights won’t change yet - and that the Republic of Ireland will remain a member of the EU.

Citizens Advice says it is reasonable to expect the government to legislate in light of leaving the EU - but it may be some time before that clarification is made.

In the first 10 days since the EU referendum, immigration, citizenship and what laws will change were at the forefront of people’s minds. Analysis of people seeking online help from Citizens Advice - in the first 24 hours following the result - shows ‘immigration’ was the top search term, with ‘citizenship’ being the third most popular.

Citizens Advice is encouraging people to seek advice if they are unsure about their rights or feel they have experienced discrimination.

Jennifer Fearon, Manager of Citizens Advice Craigavon, said: “People have lots of questions about what leaving the EU means for their day to day lives. For some people, it is as significant as what country they can call home. For others it is about their rights at work or personal finances. It is important to remember nothing changes yet and that for the time being all rights remain the same. It is likely to be several years before any changes to the law come into effect.

“We are here to help anyone who has a query about their rights and encourage people to come to us if they think they have been treated unfairly or discriminated against.”

To arrange an appointment with Citizens Advice, phone 028 38361181 or email [email protected] . Advisers are available every weekday from 10am -1pm on 0300 1 233 233.