British ambassador: No change for Hungarians living in UK after Brexit

Nothing will change for Hungarians living in the United Kingdom after it leaves the European Union, the British ambassador to Hungary said on Thursday.

After the official date of Brexit, January 31, Hungarians can continue to freely travel to the UK until the end of 2020 and work or study there, Iain Lindsay told public news broadcaster M1.

When a country becomes an EU member state, it loses an element of its sovereignty, he said, adding that “we are regaining that sovereignty and want to take the opportunity to renew and strengthen our bilateral relations with Hungary among others”.

On February 1, Britain will become Hungary’s biggest non-EU trading partner, the ambassador said. Further, the UK has the biggest Hungarian-born population outside the Carpathian Basin and is the second or third largest destination for Hungarian students, the ambassador said, adding that Britain wants to strengthen bilateral relations.

On the topic of migration, he said that after Brexit Britain plans to introduce an Australian-style point-based system evaluating talent and skills. He said that after Brexit an important change would be that Britain will no longer be obliged to keep to decisions by the European Parliament and EU courts, he said.

The ambassador said that after Brexit Britain would also have “the autonomy” to conclude its own global trade deals.

Source: MTI