EU Court Rules Brexit Ends EU Citizenship
European Court of Justice Rejects Lawsuits by British Citizens Over Brexit
The European Court of Justice, the highest legal authority in the European Union (EU) based in Luxembourg, has made a decision on three cases brought by British citizens regarding the Brexit agreement.
The court has rejected the lawsuits filed by UK citizens against the loss of their rights as EU citizens due to Brexit.
According to the court’s decision, “The loss of EU citizen status, and therefore the loss of rights associated with that status, is an automatic consequence of the UK’s decision to withdraw from the EU.” The decision clearly states that the loss of EU citizenship rights is not a result of the Secession Agreement or the Council’s decision to ratify the agreement, but rather a direct consequence of Brexit.
Three UK citizens initiated legal proceedings, arguing that “the separation agreement and the Council resolutions ratifying it deprived them of the acquired rights they enjoyed as EU citizens.”
In the UK, which includes England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, the Brexit decision was made with 52 percent in favor and 48 percent against in the EU referendum held in June 2016. The UK officially exited the EU on January 31, 2020.
This decision by the European Court of Justice further solidifies the consequences of Brexit and underscores the automatic loss of EU citizenship rights for UK citizens. It sets a precedent for future legal matters concerning the rights and status of UK citizens post-Brexit.
