The Liberal Democrats are calling for all EU citizens in the UK to be given the automatic right to stay, as new figures reveal that 3,780 living in Leeds are still waiting for the Home Office to process their applications – with just five weeks to go before the Government’s deadline.
The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics show that, as of the end of March, there have been 55,600 applications from people living in Leeds, but only 51,820 of these have been concluded.
The party is warning that those who aren’t given ‘Settled Status’ by the 30th June could become the victims of “a new Windrush-style scandal”.
The figures also reveal that 23,490 people in Leeds have only been granted temporary ‘Pre-Settled Status’. That means a total of 27,270 Leeds applicants have still not been given the permanent right to stay.
Responding to the figures, Dan Walker, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Leeds West, said:
“3,780 of our European friends and neighbours in Leeds still don’t know what will happen to them at the end of June. They are being forced to cross their fingers and hope the Home Office get to their application in time.
“EU citizens who’ve made their lives in Leeds contribute enormously to our economy, our public services and our society. They shouldn’t be forced to live with this uncertainty and anxiety any longer.”
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael added:
“Boris Johnson promised all EU citizens the automatic right to stay, but this enormous backlog and the growing number of refusals show that the Settled Status scheme is anything but automatic.
“It’s not too late, but the Government must act now to prevent a new Windrush-style scandal in just a few weeks."
ENDS
Notes to editors
The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics by local authority can be found here