Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

EU citizens in Britain face deportation if they don't apply to stay after Brexit, says minister

EU citizens in Britain face deportation if they don't apply to stay after Brexit, says minister

European Union citizens living in the UK could be deported if they do not apply for settled status after a no-deal Brexit, a British government minister has warned.

Security minister Brandon Lewis told a German newspaper that the government will "apply the rules" and remove residents who haven't applied to stay by the end of 2020, even if they meet the conditions necessary for a residence permit.


Around 1 million of the UK's 3 million EU citizens have not yet applied for settled status, the UK Home Office revealed on Wednesday.


Lewis told Die Welt that "if EU citizens have not registered by that time and have no adequate justification for not doing so, the current immigration rules will be applied." Asked if the same approach would be taken if legal conditions for residence are met, Lewis said: "Theoretically yes. We will apply the current rules."


Anti-Brexit groups had pressed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to confirm what would happen to EU citizens who did not meet the deadline for the scheme, which was introduced by his predecessor Theresa May.

"Finally, a Home Office minister publicly confirms the outrageous implications of the settled status scheme," Scottish National Party (SNP) lawmaker Stuart McDonald said on Twitter, calling for an "automatic grant of permanent residence to all EU citizens here."


"Utterly contemptible behaviour from the Tories in Westminster. Oh how small are these islands becoming with this ridiculous attitude," added Chris Law, an MP from the same party.


Lewis later said his comments had been "somewhat taken out of context." In a tweet, he added that there was "plenty of help available" to EU citizens and that the government has "always said we'll allow time for those with reasonable grounds for missing the deadline."

The settled status scheme asks EU nationals to prove their identity and that they live in the UK, and to declare any criminal convictions.


Just over 1.5 million applications for the scheme have been concluded, according to the government's latest figures, with more than half a million applications coming in September.


Of the resolved applications, the Home Office said "61% were granted settled status, 38% were granted pre-settled status, and two applications were refused on suitability grounds." Pre-settled status can be upgraded to settled status once a resident has lived in the UK for five years, but they must apply again to make the change.


A Home Office spokesperson told CNN in a statement: "EU citizens are our friends, family and neighbours and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme is a free and easy way for EU citizens to get the UK immigration status they need."


"We have received 2 million applications and are looking for reasons to grant status, not refuse, and EU citizens have until at least December 2020 to apply. We've always been clear that where they have reasonable grounds for missing the deadline, they'll be given a further opportunity to apply," the statement added.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×