MR/MASTER Phillip Roe/P Roe esq’s original letter did predicate upon the EU being “gradually engulfed by thousands of migrants from other EU countries”.

It seemed only fair to point out his error re Turkey being an EU member. I did not pick up on the hyperbolic, emotive words “engulfed” and “thousands”.

The large numbers of migrants trying to enter the EU are from the Middle East and Asia.

EU citizens, often skilled and academic, presently here are being used as bargaining chips by Theresa May’s Government.

They now have to decide what to do, many being married to Brits, with children at school. There was no need previously to change their citizenship or worry about their future status.

There has already been a reduction in applicants (skilled, eg doctors, nurses, academics, researchers, lucrative university students and others, and less skilled, eg fruit and vegetable pickers, hospitality and catering) for entry to work and study in the UK.

Why would they apply where their welcome and futures would seem in question?

We cannot rewind the clock. One of the reasons tensions in Europe have not resulted in armed conflict (with the exception of the Balkans pre partial EU membership) is undoubtedly EU co-operation. Great Britain may well not have triumphed in the Second World War without the US’s late entry?

Our glory days (debatable from a human rights point of view?) of empire are long gone, as are those of the Ottoman empire.

D C Nicholson, Grange Garth, York