One of the key demands in our #CourageCalls Manifesto was for EU citizens to be guaranteed their current voting rights in the future.
This evening, in an historic vote in the Scottish Parliament, MSPs have voted by 92 votes to 27 to give all foreign nationals in Scotland the vote.
Commenting on the decision, Roger Casale, CEO of New Europeans said:
"EU citizens already have the right to vote in Scotland, but tonight the Scottish Parliament has given the clearest possible signal that it will not remove these rights now that the UK has left the EU.
On the contrary, by extending the franchise to all foreign nationals it has shown that it is on the side of democracy, which is about making sure every member of the community is valued and have a voice."
New Europeans has lobbied hard for the protection of the voting rights of EU citizens across the UK and although we would have liked to see all foreign nationals included in Scotland (asylum seekers are still excluded from the franchise) we are thrilled that the rights of EU citizens are now full protected and guaranteed there.
We continue to lobby the UK parliament to make sure that EU citizens in the UK are not denied their vote in local elections in England and Wales when the transition period comes to an end on 31 December 2020.
Scotland was able to take a stand for citizens rights which is different from the the rest of the UK because the decisions about about the franchise have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Watch interview with Roger Casale on Alex Salmond show, 30/01/20
New Europeans is also lobbying for change in the EU, where British citizens are facing the loss of their right to vote in local elections in many EU member states due to the loss of their status as EU citizens.
Meanwhile we are pressing for a public inquiry into the #DeniedMyVote scandal which saw 1.7 m EU citizens and Britons in the EU systematically deprived of their vote last summer in the EU elections.
We are in the thick of a major campaign across Europe to protect the democratic rights of citizens.
We simply cannot do this without your support and the support of our members.
If you have not yet joined New Europeans, please consider joining tonight.
What has just happens in Scotland shows that campaigning for our rights does make a difference.
Please do your best to support this campaign so we can continue to do our best to defend our democratic rights and those of #the5million.
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