Not for the first time, the British government is sending out mixed messages on post-Brexit arrangements, this time suggesting that free movement will end in March 2019.
Speaking on the BBC's Today programme yesterday, immigration minister Brandon Lewis said: ``Free movement of labour ends when we leave the European Union in the spring of 2019 - we're very clear about that.''
He may be very clear but his statement seems at odds with the signals coming from Theresa May's cabinet last week that transitional arrangements would be put in place to avoid the sort of `cliff-edge' that business leaders are strongly warning against.
If free movement ends sharply in 2019, it is not at all certain where that will leave EU citizens working or planning to work in the UK.
As matters stand, there is no agreed plan on dealing with those citizens who are needed by the NHS, the agri-food industry and a range of other sectors.
Home secretary Amber Rudd, speaking after Mr Lewis's comments, said there would be a system whereby EU workers coming to Britain would have to register but also spoke about a `grace period' before full changes come in.
It is all frustratingly vague and unfortunately the recent rounds of negotiations on the future arrangements with the EU have managed to shed little light on what we can expect.
Certainly, all the signs are that those discussions have not moved forward to any significant degree.
Indeed, it was reported that the EU's chief negotiator had told a private meeting of ambassadors that the next phase of negotiations could be delayed by two months because of a dispute over the exit bill being demanded of the UK.
This payment is one of three conditions that the EU says must be satisfied before the talks can move on to trade and other issues.
The other conditions focus on the rights of EU citizens and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Further reports from the ambassador's meeting suggest that the border issue has not been discussed in any detail at all, which will come as little surprise to observers.
There appears to be a difference in approach with the EU negotiating team setting out its position in a series of papers while we are told that as of early July the British had not produced any such documents.
There is a strong sense that the British government has not got its act together on this matter of enormous importance, which is deeply worrying and completely unacceptable.
