ACCUConf and BrExit

As we approach October 2018 and the Call for Proposals for ACCU 2019, a number of people have expressed some concerns about ACCU 2019 being after BrExit 2019-03-29. The issue being that post-BrExit the UK government’s apparent obsession with curtailing EU freedom of movement may lead to EU citizens having difficulties entering the UK.

When UK leaves the EU on 2018-03-29, there is a two-year transition period and as such, nothing will change immediately. Constraining EU citizen’s entry into the UK after this date is highly unlikely. If however, travel into the UK by EU citizens is constrained, a move to the same sort of visa arrangements the UK already has with non-EU nationals is the most likely scenario – either automatic entry with no visa needed as per the current arrangement with Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and the USA; or as we do with other nationals. In the unlikely event of EU nationals travelling to the UK requiring visas, the ACCU organisers are able to send ‘Letters of Invitation’ to support visa applications through UK embassies and high commissions. We believe though this will not come to be needed.

Here is a statement agreed with Archer Yates Associates the organisation that organises the ACCU conferences:

Concerned about travel to the UK after Brexit? – ACCU firmly believes, free travel to the UK after Brexit will continue as it currently operates, as part of the agreed two-year transition period. In the event of visas being necessary, we will make available ‘Letters of Invitation’ to speakers and registered attendees to help facilitate any visa requests they may have.