Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice the Government is providing to employers on employing non-UK EU nationals in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

The statutory code of practice and guidance published on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide is clear that employers already need to carry out right to work checks on EU citizens, as they do with all prospective employees to prevent illegal working.

Current arrangements, under which EU citizens can demonstrate their right to work in the UK by producing their national passport or identity card, will continue after the UK leaves the European Union until the future border and immigration system is introduced. The White Paper https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/766465/The-UKs-future-skills-based-immigration-system-print-ready.pdf on the future immigration system is clear that when we move to the future system, we will not require employers to undertake retrospective right to work checks on existing EU employees.

Employers will not be required to distinguish between those who arrived before and after March 2019.