Residence in Great Britain, tens of thousands of EU citizens at risk

Within two weeks, hundreds of thousands of European citizens may find themselves in a state of “legal limbo” and without the right to reside in Great BritainEven if they have lived in the country for decades. This is what emerges from the study “EU Settlement Scheme”, published on June 17 by experts and academics from the UK think tank Center for a Changing Europe in light of the June 30 deadline for obtaining stable condition Or a residence permit after Brexit.

More than 5.6 million questions

The government says the registration system for European citizens has been a huge success. And certainly it is: More than 5.6 million people applied, a higher-than-expected number, and the vast majority of applications were accepted. Anyone who has been able to prove that they have lived in Great Britain for at least 5 years has been granted stable status o Permanent residence right, while those who arrived less than 5 years ago can request the waiting room for pre-settlement status. It’s possible in the final weeks, as it often happens, that there will be a rush to score at the last minute. The Italian Consulate and Embassy, ​​as well as other EU countries, have done everything they can to alert and encourage citizens to apply.

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fight time

However, many will not be able to register in time, also because the Home Office struggles to manage the volume of applications. So on the morning of July 1, Catherine explains, “tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of EU citizens… Bernard, Professor of European Law at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study – will lose their right of residence immediately and irrevocably, be considered undocumented, subject to a hostile environment and at risk of deportation.” The so-called “hostile environment” is Teresa’s hard-line immigration policy May When he was Minister of the Interior.
The study points to several problems with the scoring system. First of all, there is no reliable information about how many EU citizens actually live in Great Britain, because when they moved they were not considered “foreigners” and were not counted.
Moreover, the system works well for those who have a smartphone and know how to use a computer, but it is difficult for those who are less familiar with the Internet. Only 2% of residency applications were submitted by people over the age of 65: a very low percentage, indicating that many seniors are not familiar with the program.

Unskilled worker problems

A similar situation for many agricultural, food and unskilled care workers, according to the study. Thousands of children are also at risk, and their parents did not apply for their applications because they – understandably but wrongly – thought it was not necessary because they were born and lived in Britain. The report says that even the lucky ones who have already obtained the right of residence will remain second-class citizens. “Given their nationality – concludes Barnard – they will have to prove their right of residence if they want to work, rent an apartment, access public services and so on. The government must ensure that those conducting the checks understand the rights granted by stable condition To avoid forms of discrimination. Please show pragmatism and flexibility.”