Tanja Bueltmann is a citizens’ rights campaigner and founder of EU Citizens’ Champion.
Born in Germany and an EU citizen herself, Tanja, like the 3.6 million EU citizens who made the UK their home, is immediately affected by Brexit and by the upheavals it has brought.
Forced to apply to stay in our own home? Shameful doesn’t get more shameful than that.
During the EU referendum all Leave campaigners promised that nothing would change for EU citizens at home in the UK and that their rights would be protected automatically. That turned out to be a lie: now all EU citizens, regardless of how long they have lived in the UK, are being forced to apply to stay in their home. If they fail to do so by a particular deadline (this varies depending on whether there is a deal or not), they will become unlawful overnight. That is not acceptable. And that is why Tanja is fighting to protect the rights of EU citizens. None of them should be left behind because of Brexit.
Supporting the3million
the3million are the leading not for profit organisation formed after the EU referendum to protect the rights of EU citizens who made the UK their home. the3million lobby and do other advocacy work; they help EU citizens through outreach and engagement activities; and they take the government to court if needs be to protect the future of millions. Tanja wanted to do more to support these brilliant campaigners and activists because it is not acceptable that much of what the3million do is still carried primarily through volunteered time. That is how the idea for EU Citizens’ Champion was born. EU citizens need further support to ensure their rights are protected. They need champions to help with that. Tanja is not formally involved with the3million.
To learn more about why Tanja founded this campaign, read her article ‘You’re safe here … until you’re not’: EU citizens in the UK are fighting for their rights.
Tanja has written for The Guardian, HuffPost, Metro and the THE among others.
Campaigning is only one part of Tanja’s story, however. In ‘normal’ life she is a Professor of History, with a specific focus on diaspora and migration history, at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne. So in professional terms too Tanja has an interest in Brexit.
Select TV appearances, articles, interviews and speeches about citizens’ rights
‘Die Methode Boris Johnson – kommt der britische Premier damit durch?’, Anne Will Talkshow, 8 September 2019
‘Com o Brexit a UE mostrou que ser cidadão europeu significa nada’, Diario de Noticias, 11 May 2019
‘Gekommen, um zu bleiben’, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 21 April 2019
‘Die Angst, zum einfachen Ausländer degradiert zu werden’, Die Welt, 7 April 2019
‘Dass wir EU-Bürger so unter die Räder kommen, habe ich nicht erwartet’, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 15 December 2017
‘Denied My Vote’, CakeWatch Podcast, 29 May 2019
Speech at The Convention, London, 4 June 2019
You can follow Tanja on Twitter @cliodiaspora
Europe Minister @JennyGilruth spoke on behalf of @scotgov in the @scotparl debate marking the 30th anniversary of German reunification.
🇩🇪🏴Scotland and Germany have a long friendship, and we are working together to overcome the challenges that Europe and the world face today. https://twitter.com/ScotGovGermany/status/1321518471042289665
Schottland und Deutschland verbindet eine lange Freundschaft. Gemeinsam arbeiten wir an der Bewältigung der Herausforderungen, vor denen Europa und die Welt heute stehen. 💙
This is important context, but I think understanding Germany’s rationale is also vital: their track & trace can no longer trace all sources/contacts. The lockdown is about getting back to a level where it’s possible to do so. Meanwhile, England has never had a functioning system.
JUST A REMINDER as Germany goes into a four week lockdown
It reported 14,964 infections and 42 deaths in past 24 hours
The UK has reported 24,701 and 310 deaths
I hope you’re sitting down, because this week’s column should make you very, very angry.
It shows how professional clinicians employed by the NHS in crucial test and trace jobs have been secretly replaced by teenaged call centre workers employed by Serco
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/28/england-coronavirus-covid-test-and-trace-teenagers
Für alle deutschsprachigen EU Bürger im Vereinigten Königreich.
@GermanEmbassy und @WeAreSettled laden zu einer EU Settlement Informationsveranstaltung
📍Zoom
📆 Donnerstag, 5. November
⌚17:00
Registrierung hier:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdOirrDgpE9zy55p8q4RIzc9kXY0_4ZJa https://twitter.com/WeAreSettled/status/1321197035375218689
‼️EU Settlement Scheme Informationsveranstaltung‼️
Settled in Zusammenarbeit mit der @GermanEmbassy
Am Donnerstag,
⏰den 5. November um 17:00 Uhr
👇Registrieren Sie Ihre Teilnahme bitte hier:
http://tiny.cc/SettledGerman