BERLIN, April 4 (Xinhua) -- German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is preparing a regulation to secure the status of British citizens living in Germany for a transition period in case of a no-deal Brexit, the German press agency dpa reported on Thursday.
In order to ensure that all British citizens and their relatives could remain in Germany, Seehofer was examining "the creation of the requisite legal framework conditions, where necessary" a spokesperson of the ministry said.
According to the draft law, British citizens and their relatives would be allowed to stay in Germany for the first three months of an unregulated Brexit and apply for a residence permit at their place of residence during the transitional period.
An extension of the law for a further six months would be possible subject to the approval of the Bundesrat, the spokesperson added.
The draft for the ministerial decree was currently under preparation, the spokesperson noted, adding that it would be published in good time before a possible departure date.
Marius Tollenaere, a lawyer at the law firm Fragomen Global LLP which specializes in labor migration law, welcomed the "realistic attitude" the German government was adopting.
"The immigration authorities in some large cities do not have the necessary capacity to process the applications of all British citizens within three months," said Tollenaere.
The German government is increasingly mindful of the growing risk of a no-deal Brexit after British Prime Minister Theresa May consistently failed to get parliamentary approval for her withdrawal bill.
An estimated 100,000 British nationals live in Germany, with around 7,000 in the area around Frankfurt am Main alone.
