Xavier Bettel was quoted on Thursday as saying that the 2016 UK referendum about Britain’s membership of the European Union in which a slim majority voted to leave, had been launched for political reasons. He added that it was a mistake.

Likening the Brexit procedure to the break-up of a marriage, Bettel said that “maybe during the procedure of divorce, they will say ‘We love you that much that we are not able to conclude that divorce’”.

Theresa May is expected to trigger Article 50 in the coming weeks, starting a two-year countdown for Britain’s departure from the EU.

Bettel’s suggestion that it would be reversible has yet to be legally tested.

Among the many implications of Brexit are the employment and mobility of the 6,100 Britons living in Luxembourg.

Their futures hang in the balance of future negotiations between Luxembourg and the UK after the triggering of Article 50.

British residents’ interest group Brill hopes to show its support for the Unite for Europe march to Parliament in London on 25 March by hosting a “Cup of tea gratuit” stand in Grand Rue the same day.

They will use the stand to raise awareness about the situation of Britons in the EU and publicise their cause to support their rights during the Brexit procedure.