A special program targeting EU citizens living in Great Britain Live and save the chaos of Brexit. But shortly before the crucial deadline, experts fear hundreds of thousands of people will soon face legal trouble as they are overwhelmed by the application for new status. On June 30, the application deadline for the so-called EU Settlement Program ends, which aims to ensure EU citizens living in Great Britain largely the same rights they had before Brexit.
“Anyone who has not applied by the deadline and cannot demonstrate a valid reason for submitting a late application will immediately and permanently lose their right of residence,” said a report by a UK think-tank in Changing Europe published on Wednesday. These people are at risk of deportation. Hundreds of thousands can be affected.
Digital operation as an obstacle to certain groups
EU citizens as well as those who are eligible to apply for the programme NorwayAnd the IslandAnd the Liechtenstein and the Switzerlandwho were in the UK before the end of last year. Experts consider the elderly, incubated children and the homeless to be especially at risk of missing an important deadline – anyone who could find it difficult to submit purely digital applications or who don’t even realize they will have to apply for new post-Brexit status.
In addition, an obvious weakness is the lack of a register of EU citizens in Great Britain and the government cannot verify how many people are in the country who, in principle, have to apply.
“The EU Settlement Scheme is a huge success because it has created a fast and efficient system that has reached a large number of people. “It is now entering a phase that requires sensitive handling and where government needs pragmatism and flexibility on difficult issues,” said Catherine Barnard, deputy director of the think tank. So far, more than five million people have applied for settled status in the UK – more than originally expected.
