On Monday the 20th February, Toby Perkins MP was delighted to show his support for a mass lobby of Parliament organised by the3million.org.uk, UNISON and New Europeans in support of EU citizens right to stay in the country after Brexit.

Toby Perkins MP signed a pledge to call on Theresa May to guarantee unilaterally the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. MPs from six different parties signed this pledge, representing the widespread concern of parliamentarians on this issue.

Toby Perkins MP believes workers from across Europe play a vital role in our public services, especially in the NHS and social care. There are currently around 55,000 EU nationals working in the NHS and 84,000 working in social care in England alone. These services would not be able to survive without these people.

Some of these people are long standing residents of the UK, they and their families deserve better than years of uncertainty and being reduced to bargaining chips in the upcoming negotiations.

Toby Perkins MP also met with a Chesterfield based Spanish migrant, Joan Pons Laplana who joined the ‘One Day Without Us’ lobby of Parliament. He had given 17 years of service to our NHS, had married and had a British child here, we should repay that.

Toby said, “The Government should reconsider their stance on this important issue and unilaterally grant the Right to Remain for EU citizens before the process of Brexit negotiations begins”.

“We all know that ultimately they will be allowed to stay, so to pretend that they are a ‘crucial bargaining chip’ is both misleading and a callous way to approach the lives of people who are making a big contribution here.”