Bewegungsfreiheit

To understand the background to my request, I sent an email to the European Commission as follows:
'I am a German citizen, my wife is South African and we have lived in the United Kingdom for the last 21 years. Up until last month we have been able to travel together in the European Union because of Article 5 read with Article 10 of Directive 2004/38/EC. However, Article 10 only allows for a residence card to be issued to a family member of a European national if living in a host member state - see the definition at Article 2(3). Until last month, the United Kingdom was a host member state and my wife enjoyed freedom of movement with me because of the vignette in her passport. After Brexit, the United Kingdom is no longer a host member state meaning that Article 10 no longer applies to my wife and her vignette also no longer has any meaning.

I have been through the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, especially Part 2, Heading 4 and Annex Servin-5 together with the Protocol on Social Security Coordination. Nowhere could I find any provision that provides an alternative to the Article 10 residence card.

Could you please advise whether any arrangement has been made for people like my wife, who still enjoy the right of freedom of movement with me as the family member of a European national under Article 5 but now have to suffer extra administration because of the removal of a right enjoyed for the last 20 years to have a residence card - a right removed without her agreement or collaboration.

Indirectly, this now also affects my rights of freedom of movement as a European national because the administration involved for my wife creates such a large obstacle that it stops us from travelling to the European Union. I would not be travelling on my own.

Will the European Union and / or the member states be issuing travel cards to non-EU family members of European nationals living in the United Kingdom as a replacement for the Article 10 residence card to ensure that European nationals still enjoy their right to freedom of movement as they have in the past and to remove the new administrative barriers on their non-EU family members that interfere with that right?'

The European Commission replied:
'...

We are fully aware that the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union holds serious consequences for a great number of citizens – both from the UK and from EU Member States – who had built their lives on the assumption that they would always be protected by EU law.

...

We regret all the disruption many EU citizens will face but it is an outcome of the UK’s decision to withdraw from the EU and its single market, the rules of which so greatly facilitated intra-EU mobility underpinned by free movement laws that the UK was keen to bring to an end in relation to United Kingdom and United Kingdom nationals.

The Withdrawal Agreement protects those EU citizens who have exercised their right to move and reside freely before the end of the transition period (31 December 2020) and live in the United Kingdom. The same goes for United Kingdom nationals living in an EU Member State.

...

The Withdrawal Agreement protects your right to live and work in the United Kingdom. It provides for visa exemption for you and your South African spouse when coming back to the UK but it does not exempt your spouse from the visa requirement in the same way as possession of a residence card issued under Article 10 of the Free Movement Directive did before the end of the transition period. Please note that there are no plans to issue travel cards to non-EU family members of European nationals living in the United Kingdom as a replacement for the Article 10 residence card as no such instrument exists under EU law.

...'

I fully understand that it was not the EU's decision to withdraw and that the EU will not be filling any gaps. However, it was also not my wife's or my decision to withdraw but we are the victims of those gaps. Does the German government intend to assist German citizens and their non-EU spouses with some form of a replacement card to overcome the administrative obstacles when travelling together in the EU?

Thanking you in anticipation.

Anfrage teilweise erfolgreich

  • Datum
    31. März 2021
  • Frist
    4. Mai 2021
  • 0 Follower:innen
Hans Kehler
Antrag nach dem IFG/UIG/VIG Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, bitte senden Sie mir Folgendes zu: To understand th…
An Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat Details
Von
Hans Kehler
Betreff
Bewegungsfreiheit [#217109]
Datum
31. März 2021 17:02
An
Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat
Status
Warte auf Antwort — E-Mail wurde erfolgreich versendet.
Antrag nach dem IFG/UIG/VIG Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, bitte senden Sie mir Folgendes zu:
To understand the background to my request, I sent an email to the European Commission as follows: 'I am a German citizen, my wife is South African and we have lived in the United Kingdom for the last 21 years. Up until last month we have been able to travel together in the European Union because of Article 5 read with Article 10 of Directive 2004/38/EC. However, Article 10 only allows for a residence card to be issued to a family member of a European national if living in a host member state - see the definition at Article 2(3). Until last month, the United Kingdom was a host member state and my wife enjoyed freedom of movement with me because of the vignette in her passport. After Brexit, the United Kingdom is no longer a host member state meaning that Article 10 no longer applies to my wife and her vignette also no longer has any meaning. I have been through the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, especially Part 2, Heading 4 and Annex Servin-5 together with the Protocol on Social Security Coordination. Nowhere could I find any provision that provides an alternative to the Article 10 residence card. Could you please advise whether any arrangement has been made for people like my wife, who still enjoy the right of freedom of movement with me as the family member of a European national under Article 5 but now have to suffer extra administration because of the removal of a right enjoyed for the last 20 years to have a residence card - a right removed without her agreement or collaboration. Indirectly, this now also affects my rights of freedom of movement as a European national because the administration involved for my wife creates such a large obstacle that it stops us from travelling to the European Union. I would not be travelling on my own. Will the European Union and / or the member states be issuing travel cards to non-EU family members of European nationals living in the United Kingdom as a replacement for the Article 10 residence card to ensure that European nationals still enjoy their right to freedom of movement as they have in the past and to remove the new administrative barriers on their non-EU family members that interfere with that right?' The European Commission replied: '... We are fully aware that the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union holds serious consequences for a great number of citizens – both from the UK and from EU Member States – who had built their lives on the assumption that they would always be protected by EU law. ... We regret all the disruption many EU citizens will face but it is an outcome of the UK’s decision to withdraw from the EU and its single market, the rules of which so greatly facilitated intra-EU mobility underpinned by free movement laws that the UK was keen to bring to an end in relation to United Kingdom and United Kingdom nationals. The Withdrawal Agreement protects those EU citizens who have exercised their right to move and reside freely before the end of the transition period (31 December 2020) and live in the United Kingdom. The same goes for United Kingdom nationals living in an EU Member State. ... The Withdrawal Agreement protects your right to live and work in the United Kingdom. It provides for visa exemption for you and your South African spouse when coming back to the UK but it does not exempt your spouse from the visa requirement in the same way as possession of a residence card issued under Article 10 of the Free Movement Directive did before the end of the transition period. Please note that there are no plans to issue travel cards to non-EU family members of European nationals living in the United Kingdom as a replacement for the Article 10 residence card as no such instrument exists under EU law. ...' I fully understand that it was not the EU's decision to withdraw and that the EU will not be filling any gaps. However, it was also not my wife's or my decision to withdraw but we are the victims of those gaps. Does the German government intend to assist German citizens and their non-EU spouses with some form of a replacement card to overcome the administrative obstacles when travelling together in the EU? Thanking you in anticipation.
Dies ist ein Antrag auf Zugang zu amtlichen Informationen nach § 1 des Gesetzes zur Regelung des Zugangs zu Informationen des Bundes (IFG) sowie § 3 Umweltinformationsgesetz (UIG), soweit Umweltinformationen im Sinne des § 2 Abs. 3 UIG betroffen sind, sowie § 1 des Gesetzes zur Verbesserung der gesundheitsbezogenen Verbraucherinformation (VIG), soweit Informationen im Sinne des § 1 Abs. 1 VIG betroffen sind. Sollte der Informationszugang Ihres Erachtens gebührenpflichtig sein, möchte ich Sie bitten, mir dies vorab mitzuteilen und detailliert die zu erwartenden Kosten aufzuschlüsseln. Meines Erachtens handelt es sich um eine einfache Auskunft. Gebühren fallen somit nach § 10 IFG bzw. den anderen Vorschriften nicht an. Auslagen dürfen nach BVerwG 7 C 6.15 nicht berechnet werden. Sollten Sie Gebühren veranschlagen wollen, bitte ich gemäß § 2 IFGGebV um Befreiung oder hilfweise Ermäßigung der Gebühren. Ich verweise auf § 7 Abs. 5 IFG/§ 3 Abs. 3 Satz 2 Nr. 1 UIG/§ 4 Abs. 2 VIG und bitte Sie, mir die erbetenen Informationen so schnell wie möglich, spätestens nach Ablauf eines Monats zugänglich zu machen. Kann diese Frist nicht eingehalten werden, müssen Sie mich darüber innerhalb der Frist informieren. Ich bitte Sie um eine Antwort per E-Mail gemäß § 1 Abs. 2 IFG. Ich widerspreche ausdrücklich der Weitergabe meiner Daten an behördenexterne Dritte. Sollten Sie meinen Antrag ablehnen wollen, bitte ich um Mitteilung der Dokumententitel und eine ausführliche Begründung. Ich möchte Sie um eine Empfangsbestätigung bitten und danke Ihnen für Ihre Mühe! Mit freundlichen Grüßen Hans Kehler Anfragenr: 217109 Antwort an: <<E-Mail-Adresse>> Laden Sie große Dateien zu dieser Anfrage hier hoch: https://fragdenstaat.de/a/217109/ Postanschrift Hans Kehler << Adresse entfernt >>
Mit freundlichen Grüßen Hans Kehler

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Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat
210401, Kehler, Hans, IFG - Recht auf Freizügigkeit Az: GI5-12017/1#1 - Kehler, Hans Sehr geehrter Herr Kehler, vi…
Von
Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat
Betreff
210401, Kehler, Hans, IFG - Recht auf Freizügigkeit
Datum
15. April 2021 14:58
Status
Anfrage abgeschlossen
Az: GI5-12017/1#1 - Kehler, Hans Sehr geehrter Herr Kehler, vielen Dank für Ihr Schreiben vom 31. März 2021. Den zwischen Ihnen und der Europäischen Kommission geführten Dialog haben wir zur Kenntnis genommen und wir haben der ausführlichen und erschöpfenden Antwort der Europäischen Kommission inhaltlich nichts hinzuzufügen. Auch wir bedauern die zusätzlichen Schwierigkeiten, die der Austritt des Vereinigten Königreichs für dort lebende Unionsbürger nach sich zieht. Allerdings können, wie auch aus der Antwort der Europäischen Kommission hervorgeht, deutsche oder andere europäische Stellen nicht Bescheinigungen für Reisezwecke über den Aufenthaltsstatus von Drittstaatsangehörigen im Vereinigten Königreich, wie sie zuvor britische Stellen auf Grund von EU-Recht ausgestellt hatten, nun anstelle von britischen Behörden ausstellen. Hinsichtlich der Möglichkeit, ein sogleich für mehrere Jahre und Reisen gültiges Schengen-Visum für die wegen ihrer Staatsangehörigkeit auch für Kurzaufenthalte visumpflichtige Ehefrau auszustellen, können Sie sich an die zuständigen Auslandsvertretungen des zuständigen Mitgliedstaates im Vereinigten Königreich wenden. Die Zuständigkeit richtet sich dabei nach den konkreten Reiseplänen, also grundsätzlich dem Mitgliedstaat, in dem der Schwerpunkt der beabsichtigten Reisetätigkeit liegt, ansonsten nach dem Staat der ersten Einreise in das Schengen-Gebiet. Mit freundlichen Grüßen