Today marks the first day of the new settlement scheme, that allows EU citizens living in the UK to apply to the Home Office if they wish to continue living here after June 2021.
Adults will be required to pay £65, with children paying £32.50. The deadline is Wednesday 30th June 2021.
The scheme will be fully working at the start of the transitional period on March 30th but won’t apply to people already given indefinite leave to remain in the UK
On Saturday 30th March 2019, the official transition scheme between the United Kingdom and European Union will be in process and the settlement scheme will become fully operational, meaning EU citizens in Britain will need to apply at the Home Office for ‘settled status’.
There has been a major outcry regarding the fee required to apply for this scheme, which has been controversial. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan tweeted his opinion on the issue and gave his view that he was strongly against this new government scheme.
There are currently 3.5 million EU citizens living in the UK, with approximately 1,085,333 living in the capital alone, just under a third of Britain’s total EU population. London’s EU citizens help to grow the economy.
This morning a discussion was held on BBC’s Politics Live with panelists Labour MP Jenny Chapman and Tory MP Lee Rowley strongly disagreeing on the implications that this could have on the future of Britain’s EU citizens and it’s possible effects on our future relationship with the European Union.
Sharon O’Dea shared a story about her grandmother having been forced to apply for ‘settled status’ despite having lived in the UK for 66 years, to continue to live here alongside the other three generations of her family.
The scheme may only be on it’s first day, but it is already proving to be controversial and divisive. The major issue is the lack of transparency around this legislation – a legislation that has been changed 58 times since 2012 – and the worry and confusion it is causing amongst EU citizens in the UK.
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