EU citizens in Bath and North East Somerset in Limbo as ‘Settled Status’ Backlog Soars

5 March 2021

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to grant EU citizens the automatic right to stay in the UK, with the physical proof they need, as new Home Office figures reveal that 610 people in Bath and North East Somerset are still waiting for a decision on their Settled Status application.

The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics show that, as of the end of December, there have been 9,460 applications from people living in Bath and North East Somerset, of which 8,850 have been concluded.

The figures reveal that 4,160 people in Bath and North East Somerset have only been granted temporary ‘Pre-Settled Status’. That means a total of 4,770 of Bath and North East Somerset applicants have still not been given the permanent right to stay.

Responding to the figures, Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, said:

“Far too many EU citizens in our area are still living under a cloud of uncertainty about their right to remain in the country where they have made their homes. They must have the right to stay here permanently.

“EU citizens are an integral part of our local communities. They are our friends and family, and Liberal Democrats will always stand up for them. We will keep fighting to secure their automatic right to stay, with the physical proof they need.

“Boris Johnson and the Conservatives promised to automatically guarantee the rights of EU citizens to stay, but they have broken that promise, as they have so many others**.** The Government’s scheme is putting thousands of EU citizens at risk of becoming the victims of a new Windrush-style scandal.”

The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics by local authority can be found here.

Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine tabled the European Citizens’ Rights Bill on 26th February 2020. Its Second Reading in the House of Commons was due to take place on 22nd January, but that has been postponed indefinitely by the Government’s decision to cancel sitting Fridays. More details of the Bill are available here.