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THE INDEPENDENT ARTICLE:
EU citizens face deportation after Brexit if they miss application deadline, under hardline UK rules Narrow list of exceptions would leave most citizens vulnerable EU citizens who miss the deadline to apply for residency after Brexit will only be granted leniency from deportation in exceptional circumstances, according to people briefed on the plans. A narrow list of exemptions from deportation, such as people with physical or mental incapacity, or children whose parents fail to apply on their behalf, are included in government guidelines as reported by the Reuters news agency, “We are looking at a fairly high threshold, saying ‘I forgot’ won’t be good enough,” an immigration lawyer briefed on the plans told Reuters. “If someone fails to apply before the deadline they will have no lawful residence. Then the process to deport them will kick in.” The Home Office has previously been vague about the situation, and said people would "be given a further opportunity to apply" if they had "reasonable grounds" for missing the deadline. There are fears that many EU citizens will fall through the net and not register in time, creating the potential for another Windrush scandal. Campaigners say vulnerable people such as the elderly, those not in regular employment, and domestic violence victims are particularly at risk. “We are massively concerned about this. It’s our biggest worry,” said Maike Bohn of the 3million group, which represents EU citizens. “I meet people on almost daily basis who are aware of the scheme, but think they don’t need to apply.” The sheer number of EU citizens in the UK means that even if 95 per cent sign up to the scheme successfully, around 175,000 people would be missed. This level of uptake would be relatively unprecedented for a population registration scheme. In October Brandon Lewis, the Conservative security minister, confirmed that EU nationals lacking special status could be deported. Asked at the time whether those who did not apply for settled status in the next year would be deported, he said: “Theoretically yes. We will apply the rules.” The announcement provoked a backlash on the continent. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, said the legislature would never approve the Brexit deal if the UK started deporting citizens. "MEPs, who ultimately will have to ratify any deal, have made it crystal clear that the UK Government must reverse their policy and commit to non-deportation of law-abiding Europeans living in the UK," Luisa Porritt MEP, Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem MEPs told The Independent. "The Tory Government's disgraceful approach to citizens from the EU27, who contribute so much to our country and enrich our society, is one that only Donald Trump would be proud of. It is an insult to the millions of Europeans who call Britain home." The Government says EU citizens have until at least December 2020 to apply. |
Comparison
The article by the Independent is more sympathetic towards the EU residents: "vulnerable people"... "It is an insult" and tend to use quotes from people who oppose this view. This keeps in with their political bias which is more liberal. The article by the guardian is a lot less sympathetic and takes the side of the ministers and the rules: "full force of the hostile deadline", "we've always been clear". This links in with the political bias of the Guardian, which is more conservative. |
THE GUARDIAN ARTICLE
EU nationals lacking settled status could be deported, minister says Brandon Lewis says people who do not apply before 2021 may be removed from UK The security minister, Brandon Lewis, has threatened EU citizens with deportation from the UK if they do not apply for settled status after Brexit. Home Office figures show a million of the estimated 3 million EU citizens in the UK have yet to apply for settled status, which will allow them to stay in the UK. In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, Lewis said these people risked being deported if they failed to apply by the end of 2020. “If EU citizens have not registered by then without an adequate justification, the immigration rules will apply,” Lewis said. Asked whether those who did not apply in the next 14 months would face deportation even if they fulfilled all legal conditions for a residence permit, Lewis said: “Theoretically yes. We will apply the rules.” Campaigners said the comments suggested the government was planning to renege on a promise to EU citizens. The3million, a group representing EU citizens living in Britain, said it was the first time the government had confirmed what would happen to those who did not apply for settled status. Maike Bohn, a co-founder of the campaign, said: “We have pressed the government for years on what happens to those who do not have a status in 2021. Today, after much wait, it is confirmed that hundreds and thousands of people will be punished with the threat of removal from their home. This is no way to treat people, let alone what was promised.” The3million said many EU citizens in the UK were unaware of the requirement to register for settled status, while others were refusing to, as a protest against Brexit. Bohn said: “Those people who miss the tight deadline will face the full force of the hostile environment. That is the grim reality of the UK government’s position, no matter how many times they repeat the phrase: ‘EU citizens and their families are our friends, neighbours and colleagues and we want them to stay.’” The3million is calling for changes to the EU settlement scheme to guarantee rights to EU citizens even if they do not apply for settled status. Lewis later tweeted that his remarks had been taken out of context. Until now Home Office briefings have consistently tried to stress that officials will do everything they can to grant EU nationals the right to remain, and steered away from focusing on what would happen to those who failed to apply on time. One of the civil servants leading the settled status application scheme said: “This is about trying to grant the right. This is not about trying to trip people up … We’ve set this up from scratch. All this is here to try to say yes to European citizens, to try to give them their rights.” The Home Office’s position has consistently been to stress that if someone has a good reason to explain why they failed to apply by the deadline then they will be reasonable. The Home Office indicated that if people persistently fail to apply, then they will have no lawful status in the UK. Campaigners have asked for clarity on this point, noting that there was no clear explanation of what would be considered a “good reason” for failing to apply by the deadline. There is concern from campaign groups such as The3million that there could be tens of thousands of EU nationals in the UK who will fail to apply in time; they are particularly concerned by what will happen to older and more vulnerable EU residents who may not be aware of the need to secure their rights after Brexit and who may struggle with the digital application process. As well as encountering difficulties with the Home Office, people who do not secure settled status may encounter problems applying for work or renting property, because employers and landlords will need to check that they are living in the UK legally. A Home Office spokesperson said: “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 2m 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 Times
Article: The Times
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The Daily Mirror
Article: The Daily Mirror
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