A parliamentary report found that a large number of Europeans over the age of 65 in the UK failed to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by the deadline and warned that this could make thousands of retired EU nationals vulnerable to British immigration . Hostile environmental policy.
Only 2% of settlement program applications are submitted by people over 65 years of age, and this percentage is unlikely to reflect the population of older EU nationals living in the UK. The charity supporting the application of senior citizens in Europe stated that they “encountered many people who did not have a mobile phone, did not have digital access rights, were inappropriate or did not have documents,” and the report warned that those who had difficulties with the digital technology required to apply It is more likely to miss the application deadline at the end of last month.
The report of the House of Lords European Affairs Committee called on the government to ensure continued support to help late applicants to ensure their identity.
“Only 2% of applicants are over 65 years of age. This fact indicates that seniors may be missed or simply unable to apply before the deadline. These people need more comprehensive legal protections to ensure that delayed applications do not affect their ability to stay in Right here,” said Lord Kinnur, the chairman of the committee. The Civil Rights Report pays particular attention to Italian nationals who moved to the UK after World War II.
The report echoes the purely digital approach of activists who have repeatedly called for the cancellation of the plan and requested the grant of physical documents to prove status and rights in the UK.
“For example, if there is no physical document, EU citizens living here may face the challenge of obtaining a lease. Our government welcomes the EU’s decision to issue physical documents to all British citizens in Europe, and refuses to require EU citizens in the UK to also The call to do so. Ministers must explain this contradiction,” Kinnur added.
The report warns that more clarity needs to be made to ensure that those who apply late are protected. This is especially important for 2 million people who have obtained more temporary UK residency and pre-settlement status, because if they want to stay, they will have to reapply for settled status and many of them may miss their application deadline.
Many of these issues were also highlighted in a separate study published this week. Legal Center Network, Focusing on groups of applicants who find it difficult to apply for this status. With the free assistance of a network of 16 charitable-funded legal centers, an analysis of more than 1,000 complex EUSS cases found that the proportion of long-term residents who have lived in the UK for more than 20 years seeking help has increased significantly.
Julie Bishop, Director of the Law Center Network, said: “Some people always find it difficult to apply for settlement status, but work from home Little is known about their identities, and the design of EUSS did not take them into account. Delay applications can be filed, but the Ministry of the Interior alone decides whether to accept them.
“blast Show us that we cannot rely on their discretion. Today, we call on the Ministry of the Interior to announce the criteria for accepting overdue applications. “
A government spokesperson said: “We are very pleased that as of June 30, there have been more than 6 million EU settlement applications and more than 5.1 million status grants. The Citizenship Report recognizes this as a major achievement.
“The report also acknowledges concerns about the rights of British nationals living in the European Union. The British government will continue to work with the European Union to ensure that these rights are upheld, just as the United Kingdom has done for EU citizens living in the United Kingdom.”
