Brexit: London Mayor Sadiq Khan reassures immigrants that they have a place in Britain

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has a message for all the Europeans working and living in the England’s capital city: “You are welcome here.”

These are reassuring words in light of the Brexit referendum, in which the British people voted in favor of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. The vote left the more than 3 million Europeans living in Britain in search of what comes next. Khan spoke directly to those in London:

“I want to send a particular message to the almost 1 million Europeans living in London, who make a huge contribution to our city – working hard, paying taxes, and contributing to our civic and cultural life,” Khan said in a statement. “You are welcome here. We value the enormous contribution you make to our city and that will not change as a result of this referendum.”

Khan, like Prime Minister David Cameron, campaigned against leaving the EU, publicly stating his belief that Britain was “better off” and more stable within the EU. But like Cameron, Khan says he is respectful of the British people’s decision.

“The British people have clearly spoken today, and their democratic will must now be fulfilled,” Khan said. “We all have a responsibility to now seek to heal the divisions that have emerged throughout this campaign — and to focus on that which unites us, rather than that which divides us.”

Anti-immigration sentiments were a driving force in the winning “Leave” campaign, especially targeted at immigrants from economically struggling countries in the Eastern bloc. During the campaigning period, the pro-Brexit camp was adamant things would remain unchanged for non-British EU citizens already settled in the UK.

“There will be no change for EU citizens already lawfully resident in the UK,” the campaign said on their official website leading up to the vote. “These EU citizens will automatically be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK and will be treated no less favourably than they are at present.”

However, it still remains unclear whether there is truth to Leave campaign’s statements.

Legally, if Britain is no longer in the European Union, then the laws allowing EU citizens to freely work and live in the UK technically do not apply. That’s a hugely substantial technicality in the eyes of non-British European UK residents, who will have to live in uncertainty until the UK negotiates new terms with the European Union — a process that could take up to two years.