EU citizens given strong guarantees post-Brexit - PM May's spokesman

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May hosts a meeting with leaders and representatives of Caribbean countries, at 10 Downing Street in London April 17, 2018. Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool via Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has given "very strong" guarantees to EU citizens about their status after Brexit, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday, rejecting fears they would experience similar difficulties to the "Windrush generation".

"Very strong guarantees have been given to EU citizens via the joint report and reconfirmed by the agreement in March," he told reporters.

The "Windrush generation" was invited to Britain to plug labour shortfalls between 1948 and 1971, but some of their descendants have been caught up in a tightening of immigration rules overseen by May in 2012 when she was interior minister.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper)