First bargaining chips, now stocktaking: the plan to register EU citizens

EU citizens living in the UK will reportedly be asked to register in ‘a first step towards regularising’ their legal status post-Brexit. But the purpose of this move is unclear, writes Tanja Bueltmann. It comes after a year of uncertainty during which many EU citizens, concerned about their future in the UK, have decided to leave. And it offers no clarification on whether the rights they currently enjoy – such as pensions and access to the NHS – will continue after March 2019.