Thousands could lose their rights in one month

Fears that thousands of long-term UK residents will lose their rights in one month

May 30th marks one month left for EU citizens to secure their future in the UK, under the EU Settlement Scheme. All European nationals living in the UK must apply for Settled or Pre-Settled Status by June 30th, or lose their rights to work, access healthcare and education and could face removal from the country.

Settled is concerned tens of thousands of people will miss the deadline and lose their rights overnight. Many of these people will include long-term UK residents, including those who hold permanent residence cards.

• Many permanent residence card holders unaware they must apply

• Long term residents, including those who arrived as children, could lose their rights

• Major delays for ID document renewals causing panic

• Children in care must have applications completed for them

Settled is being contacted daily by concerned long term residents of the UK, some who came to the country as children and many who hold permanent residence cards, enquiring if they need to apply to the scheme.

We are noticing the emotional effect this is having on older people who, after having often paid a large fee for their permanent residence card, assumed their future in the country they call home was secure.

Settled is helping a woman apply for Settled Status for her octogenarian French mother, who suffers from advanced dementia. Though her mother moved to the UK aged 18, she has struggled to secure the paperwork she needs to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, having destroyed much of it at the beginning of her illness. “I’m petrified if she gets refused, what will happen to her? Her healthcare? I just think – thank god she doesn’t know what’s happening.”

In the latest government statistics just 2% of applications to the EU Settlement Scheme came from those aged 65 and above. Settled fears there are thousands more out there who are unaware they must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to secure their future in the country, or have tried and given up on completing the digital-only scheme.

The government has issued updated guidance reassuring that late applications for a number of select reasons, will be looked upon sympathetically during a period after the deadline. However, we do not know how long that period will last. We fear that those who are digitally excluded, who lack evidential paperwork, or are simply unaware of the scheme will find themselves in the country illegally on July 1st, with great uncertainty around their future. We need reassurances that no one will lose the right to call the UK their home.

Beside the 300,000+ backlog for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme itself, several EU nation embassies and consulates in the UK are experiencing major backlogs for passport and ID document renewals. This proof of identity is required to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. Traditionally many EU citizens would renew their documents in their country of origin. However, travel restrictions over the past year have pushed the burden onto embassies and consulates.

We’re also concerned that with just over four weeks to go, there are still some children under local authority care who have not secured their settlement status. While ample work is being done to resolve this issue, we believe it highlights the large lack in awareness of the importance and potentially catastrophic consequences for those who fall through the cracks of the scheme.

Settled CEO Kate Smart said:

“The danger is that some people think the EU Settlement Scheme doesn’t apply to them, as they have been here in the UK for a long time. With one month to go, we’re facing a terrible situation in which thousands of people will unwittingly lose their rights in the UK overnight.

We’re receiving calls from long-term residents saying ‘I don’t think I need to apply, but I just want to check’.

We need to inform the public through a wider network, including local authorities, that they must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. We also must ensure there are safety nets there for those who miss this important deadline for numerous reasons, often beyond their control.”