Wednesday June 16, 2021
Brexit deadline is running out
Hundreds of thousands of Europeans are threatened with emigration
As a result of Brexit, hundreds of thousands of Europeans could lose their right to stay in the UK – if they do not apply for a government program in time. But many do not know anything about the regulation, in the worst case they face deportation.
Ahead of an important deadline, experts have warned of legal problems for hundreds of thousands of EU citizens living in the UK. The application deadline for the so-called EU Settlement Program ends on June 30th. “Anyone who has not applied by the deadline and cannot prove a good reason for a late application will immediately and irrevocably lose their right of residence,” said a report by think tank UK in a Changing Europe. These people are then even at risk of being deported. Hundreds of thousands could be affected.
EU citizens and people from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland who were in Great Britain before the end of last year are eligible to apply for the program. The experts consider the elderly, foster children or homeless people to be particularly at risk of missing the important deadline – i.e. everyone who could either find the purely digital application process difficult or who are not even aware that they will be applying for a new status after Brexit have to. In addition, a clear weak point is that there is no register of EU citizens in Great Britain and the government cannot check how many people there are in the country who in principle have to apply.
“The EU Settlement Scheme is a great success because it created a fast and efficient system that reached a large number of people. But it is now entering a sensitive phase where the government is pragmatic and flexible in tough cases, “said Catherine Barnard, the think tank’s deputy director. To date, more than five million people have applied for settlement status in the UK – more than originally expected.
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