Campaigners urge UK Government to give EU nationals guarantee they can remain in UK after Brexit

UK and EU flags - credit: Press Association

Campaigners have urged Downing Street to give a guarantee that European nationals living in the UK before Brexit is formally triggered can stay in the country.

The Three Million group will deliver a letter to Theresa May today, calling for assurances that EU citizens currently in Britain will not be used as “bargaining chips”.

They will present their letter to ministers alongside 10 groups which represent the 1.2 million British citizens who live in EU member states.

"We are not bargaining chips," it reads. "We are people".

Meanwhile think tank British Future is calling for those already living in Britain before Article 50 is invoked to be given permanent residence.

May has refused to guarantee that EU citizens in Britain will have a right to remain before she enters the formal Brexit negotiations.

She has come under fire from across the political spectrum for her stance, which she says protects Brits living in European countries.

The Prime Minister argues equivalent assurances for them must be given from the EU before any such guaranteed can be issued. She has pledged to trigger Article 50 before the end of March 2017.

In a statement, a Government spokesman said: "The Prime Minster and other ministers have been absolutely clear that they want to protect the status of EU nationals already living here.

"The only circumstances in which that wouldn't be possible is if British citizens' rights in European member states were not protected in return".

Following an inquiry, British Future called for the current EU permanent residence system to be converted into “indefinite leave to remain” status.

This is already available to other international migrants living in the UK.

The inquiry, which was carried out by a panel that included MPs and representatives of other public bodies, said it was "morally wrong to use EEA+ nationals in the UK as bargaining chips to secure the rights of UK nationals in Europe."

Brexit-backing Labour MP Gisela Stuart said: "Britain should make clear at the start of the Brexit negotiations that EU citizens already here before that date can stay.

"This would send a clear signal about the kind of country the UK will be after Brexit and the relationship we want with Europe.

"We should expect reciprocal deals for Britons living in European countries, but Britain should make the first move to demonstrate goodwill".