BRUSSELS, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) would seek to ensure full rights of citizens of both the EU and the United Kingdom after Brexit, said European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday.

"Citizens' rights are the number one priority for the EU27 and we have made our position clear. We want to ensure the full rights for EU and UK citizens after Brexit," Tusk told a press conference after a two-day summit in Brussels.

"My first impression is that the UK's offer is below our expectations and that it risks worsening the situation of citizens," Tusk said.

"It is obvious that the impact of Brexit in the citizens' rights area is negative and our role is to reduce these negative, but unfortunately objective outcomes and effects of Brexit," he added.

"If we compare that, it is of course just the first impression, if we compare the current level of citizens' rights to what we have heard from the British prime minister it's obvious that this is about reducing the citizens' rights of the EU citizens in the UK and our role during the negotiations is to reduce this risk," Tusk noted.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday made an offer, which she calls "fair and serious", to her EU counterparts over the contentious issue of the future rights of EU citizens. She said those who arrived lawfully before Brexit would have the chance to build up the same rights to work, healthcare and benefits as British citizens. Enditem

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