THEY were denied the right to vote in a contest that will determine their future.
Yesterday EU citizens in Scotland expressed a mix of resignation, anger and hope as they braced for the reintroduction of Brexit bills in Westminster.
It is thought that Boris Johnson, buoyed by his increased majority, may put the legislation needed to meet his January 31 withdrawal target before parliament by the end of this week. The Tory triumph was based on the premise that he’d “get Brexit done” and there is speculation that MPs may be called to sit on the last Saturday before Christmas in order to keep that pledge.
READ MORE: Europe’s leaders warn of challenges ahead after Jonson elected
Ellen Hofer, anti-Brexit campaigner and creative director of EU Citizens for an Independent Scotland, says her group has been receiving sympathy messages, with much of that directed at EU nationals living in England. However, she says there is a “false sense of security in Scotland”, where the Scottish Government has pledged to protect this group, as the UK becomes “more and more institutionally xenophobic”.
“I wish I was less pessimistic,” she said. “As I’ve said, we need more than warm words, we need action.”
French-born Aurelien Ammeloot says the sense of foreboding he felt in 2015, before the Brexit referendum was called, has given way to a feeling of resignation. “When I saw the 2015 result I had a feeling something terrible was going to happen,” he said.
“I was upset, but I was right. On Thursday, I almost felt like, ‘oh well, this is it, game’s up’. But it’s not what I wanted.”
Fellow Frenchman Gilles – who asked the Sunday National not to use his surname due to “political tensions” – says he also refuses to rethink his family’s future.
However, the dad-of-two from the Greater Glasgow area, does admit he now has a Plan B, just in case.
He and his Scots-born wife have secured French passports for their young daughters. “If it’s going badly,” he says, “it’s a back-up.
“I didn’t bother getting my settled status at first because I didn’t think Brexit was going to happen. But Boris scared the bejeezus out of me. Two things allow me to sleep at night. One is my settled status and the other is being based in Scotland. Because of what Nicola Sturgeon is saying, I feel more confident.”
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