欧盟公民对英国永久居留权申请量大爆发

BBC News –These are anxious times for the 2.9 million citizens of other EU countries currently living in the UK. Not to mention the estimated 1.2 million British expats who live in the rest of the EU.

BBC新闻 – 这些日子是当前居住在英国的290万其他欧洲国家公民最焦虑的时候。更别提约120万居住在欧盟其他国家的英国侨民了。

The free movement rights which allowed EU citizens to set up home here and take jobs (there are just over 2 million EU citizens in the UK workforce, according to the latest ONS figures) could be scrapped if Britain votes to leave on 23 June.

如果英国在6月23日投票脱离欧盟，让欧盟公民得以在英国安家和就业的自由迁徙权利可能被取消。根据国家统计局最新数字，英国劳动大军中有两百多万欧盟公民。

Nobody - not even the most ardent Brexiteer - is talking about mass deportations. The Leave campaign has repeatedly assured EU citizens that their right to live and work in the UK will not be affected if Britain votes to leave. There are longstanding conventions protecting the rights of citizens acquired under international treaties.

没人在谈论大规模遣返 – 哪怕是最热心的脱欧派。脱欧运动一再向欧盟公民保证，如果英国投票脱欧，他们在英居住和工作的权利不会受到影响。英国有着根据国际条约形成的保护公民权利的长期惯例。

It might be a different story for new arrivals, depending on the kind of deal a post-Brexit government eventually strikes with the EU.

对新来者或许是另一回事，取决于退欧后政府最终与欧盟达成何种协议。

But EU citizens are not taking any chances, it seems. Many are reported to be applying for British citizenship ahead of a possible Brexit vote next week, in the hope that it will protect them from being deported if the rules change in the future.

但看来欧盟公民并未心存侥幸。 据悉，许多人赶在下周可能举行的英国退欧公投前申请英国国籍，希望如果今后规则改变，这能保护他们免遭遣返。

EU citizens qualify for permanent residence in the UK after five years of living there as a worker, partner or family member of a worker, a student, someone who is "economically self-sufficient", or is a "credible" job seeker. They can then apply for full British citizenship.

欧洲公民在英国作为打工人员，打工人员的伴侣或家庭成员，学生，“经济自给自足”人员，或“可信的”求职者，在英国居住5年后，即有资格获得永久居留权。然后就可申请英国本土公民身份。

Immigration lawyers, who rarely hear from EU nationals in normal times, are reporting a big increase in applications…

平时很少接到欧盟国家公民电话的移民律师报告说，申请数量大增……