UK set to become 1st country to leave EU. What the move will change

The United Kingdom is set to be the first country to leave the European Union (EU) after a three and a half year push which has seen two general elections and much political wrangling.

On Friday evening, as the clock strikes 23:00 GMT, Britain will leave the European Union as the wishes of 17.4 million Britons will eventually be realised as Brexit will finally be delivered.

Reports say a transition period will run for at least 11 months, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ideal timeframe, while negotiators thrash out the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU.

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But beyond that, listed below is a guide to what will happen next.

1.) The UK will enter the transition period and it will be out of EU political institutions but still – for at least the next 11 months – ruled by EU laws.

2.) Britons and EU nationals will continue to benefit from free movement and live in their countries under the rules and regulations they are used to.

3.) When the divorce is finalised, free movement for British immigrants in EU countries will end, according to the Withdrawal Agreement, but they will be afforded rights.

4.) EU nationals living in the UK are being urged to apply now for the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme, but they can wait until the deadline – June 30, 2021, if a deal is reached, or December 31, 2020, if the conclusion is a no-deal Brexit.

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