Theresa May's government had been resisting the establishment of March 2019 as the date prior to which any EU citizens entering the UK would have all the same rights as those already in the country now, on the theory that this would immediately result in a vast influx of Europeans. And there was an underlying assumption that Europeans arriving after the cutoff date would be granted fewer rights than those who immigrated earlier.

But in reality, since the Brexit referendum vote, fewer Europeans have been coming to the UK to live and work, and more who were living in the UK have returned to Europe, or are planning to prior to March 2019.

So it's probably inevitable that March 2019 will be the cutoff entry date for granting today's full rights to European immigrants.

Even 17 months is little time in which to stabilize the UK's essential pool of workers in the tourism, hospitality, agriculture and service industries.