Up and down the country every day, there are over two million EU workers who make a huge contribution to our society, our culture and our economic prosperity. Contributor The Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP – Minister of State for Immigration.
Brexit has been an unsettling time for them, and as Minister for Immigration, I’ve met many who worry about the changes our country is going through and what it means for them.
Our message to EU citizens has been the same since we began the process of leaving the EU. We want them to stay – whether we leave with a deal or without one – and it is my firm priority to ensure they continue to feel welcome here.
On Saturday, we launched the EU Settlement Scheme. It’s a free, simple and straightforward way of gaining the status needed so that EU citizens can live and work in the UK after we leave the EU for as long as they wish.
We have carefully designed it with the help of over 200,000 people who have trialled it, and have worked hard to make the process as quick as possible. We check just three things – identity, criminality and residency. Almost four in five people in the trial didn’t have to provide any additional documentation. The other day, for example, I spoke to one Portuguese citizen who received status within just three hours of applying.
We have made sure the Scheme is fit for the modern age. Confirmation of settled status will be stored digitally rather than having to worry about losing pieces of paper. Passports can be scanned straight away on a smartphone app rather than sending it in the post.
The Government is doing all it can to urge EU workers to apply. We’ve invested millions of pounds in a marketing campaign, visible at around 6,000 sites in every corner of the UK including in every major city, but employers and co-workers can help to spread the word further.
If you employ EU citizens, I urge you to look at our online toolkit for employers. We have worked closely with organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to tailor it to your needs. It has posters, factsheets and videos which can be put up in staff rooms or on your intranet.
As the UK leaves the EU, our relationship with Europe will undoubtedly change. But this Scheme demonstrates our commitment to ensure EU citizens who have contributed so much to our society and our economy can continue to call the UK their home – long after we have left the EU.
