Over 1Mln People Granted UK Settlement Status Under Post-Brexit Scheme In 4 Months - Gov't

Muhammad Irfan Published August 15, 2019 | 08:56 PM

More than one million people in the United Kingdom have received settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, which grants EU citizens the right to stay in the country after Brexit happens in October, since the program started in late March, the UK government said in a statement on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2019) More than one million people in the United Kingdom have received settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, which grants EU citizens the right to stay in the country after Brexit happens in October, since the program started in late March, the UK government said in a statement on Thursday.

"The Home Office has today (15 August 2019) announced that over one million people have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. The milestone comes 4 and a half months after the scheme fully launched on 30 March 2019," the statement said.

As of the end of July, the government has received more than 950,000 applications came from England, 50,000 applications from Scotland, 15,000 from Wales, and 12,000 from Northern Ireland. The statistics also revealed that the largest number of applications were submitted by citizens of Poland, Romania, Italy and Portugal.

Minister of State for the Home Office Brandon Lewis said that the process of applying under the EU Settlement Scheme included three stages, at which EU citizens must prove their identity and the fact that they lived in the country, and present information on any prior convictions.

"The EU Settlement Scheme is designed to make it straightforward for EU citizens and their family members to stay after the UK leaves the EU. To apply they only need to complete 3 key steps - prove their identity, show that they live in the UK and declare any criminal convictions," Lewis said, as quoted by the statement.

EU citizens willing to stay in the United Kingdom after Brexit can apply for settlement status as late as December 31, 2020, regardless of whether the withdrawal happens with or without a deal, the statement said.