EU Citizen Settled Status and denial of offline proof
Deadline of 30th June 2021 for EU Citizens to apply for settled status
The government has set (and recently confirmed) a deadline of 30th June 2021 for EU Citizens resident in the UK to apply for EU Citizen settled status. This requirement supersedes any previous granting of indefinite leave to remain from the days of the EEC, and so affects even long-term residents of the UK. EU citizens who have been resident in the UK since before 31st December 1988 are eligible to apply under the Windrush Scheme, which has some advantages over the Settled Status scheme.
Individuals will fail to meet the deadline
Given the lack of publicity around this far-reaching change to the status of EU citizens, the danger is that individuals will fail to meet the deadline, and be exposed to the rigours of the ‘hostile environment’ regime which we have seen unlawfully deployed against the legal immigrants of the Windrush generation.
the3million, an organisation campaigning for the rights of EU citizens, is calling for printed certification of settled status modelled along the lines of the government’s proposed certification of COVID vaccination status.
COVID-19 vaccine certification offers printed copy
The Government’s COVID-19 vaccine certification system allows people to show their status on their phone, or to download and print a PDF, or to request a printed version. Indeed, the website clearly says, “You can view your COVID-19 vaccination status online and download or print it as a PDF document.” The secure QR code technology used means the printed certificates are secure against fraud, and cheap to produce, addressing the two major objections from those who voted down last year’s proposed amendment to the settled status scheme. It helps to ensure that people who are not digitally literate or do not have access to smartphones can still easily prove their COVID vaccination status. It also recognises that people might want to print it in case their phone battery runs out at the airport, or they can’t connect to the internet when they need to prove their status.
Why can’t the government implement a digital immigration status in the same way as they propose to implement digital COVID certification?
The key focus of the #ProofEqualityNow campaign is: why can’t the government implement digital immigration status in the same way as they propose to implement digital COVID certification? Since the Government wants to make immigration status digital by default for all migrants, doing this would ultimately benefit all migrants living in the UK not just those with status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
This solution would also benefit employers, landlords and service providers who need to check status – it would be as straightforward as viewing a passport or ID card and reduce the risk of them favouring those with physical proof over those with digital-only status.
Please write to your MP
Please write to your MP to ask them to call for printed certificates of settled status, as well as promoting and sharing the campaign on social media, using the hashtags @inlimbobrexit on Twitter and @inlimboproject on Facebook, as well as #ProofEqualityNow.
You can find more information on the campaign page https://www.the3million.org.uk/proof-equality-now and the latest newsletter from the campaign on http://eepurl.com/hAGiC5.
FREE Online information sessions for employers and organisations
02 July 2021
Guidance on the New System Checking Right to Work.
https://cal-infosession0207.eventbrite.co.uk
08 July 2021
Information Session on Checking the Right to Work (focus on non-EEA citizens).
https://cal-infosession0807.eventbrite.co.uk
14 July 2021
EU Citizens and the Right to Work
https://cal-infosession1407.eventbrite.co.uk
20 July 2021
EU Citizens and the Right to Work
https://cal-infosession2007.eventbrite.co.uk
Coming soon:
8 September 2021- EUSS & Immigration Conference
24 September 2021- Moving on from EUSS into the new Immigration System