The deadline is looming and tens of thousands of Italians are missing. By June 30, European citizens living in Great Britain must obtain the right of residence in order to remain in the country after Brexit.
Almost 5 million applications accepted
The registration system was a success: according to the latest Home Office data updated as of April 15, 4.98 million requests were accepted out of the 5.3 million requests received. Of the successful applications, 53% of applicants obtained “settled status”, which is the right of permanent residence that allows them to continue living, studying or working in the United Kingdom. 44% have obtained “pre-settled status”, which grants the right of temporary residence to those who have lived in Great Britain for less than 5 years.
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Numerous Italians but some thousands are missing
Among European citizens, Italians have come forward: over 472 thousand have obtained residence permits, a number exceeded only by Poles and Romanians. The good news is that 98% of our compatriots in Great Britain have registered. The bad news is that a few tens of thousands are still missing and now he has only a few weeks to comply. For this reason, the Consulate General of Italy in London and Comites, the Committee of Italians Abroad, today raised the alarm by launching an information and mobilization campaign aimed above all at citizens over 65.
“Hunt” for latecomers
In fact, according to the Home Office, only 2% of those who applied are in this age group, therefore about 111 thousand people. Too low a number not to think that many entitled persons did not apply. The reasons may be different: lack of information, the mistaken belief that you are already in order (perhaps because you are married to a British citizen), unfamiliarity with the internet. In fact, the application to the Settlement Scheme must be made online and it is simple if you have a biometric passport and a smartphone.
Elderly category at risk
The situation was aggravated by the pandemic, as centers that had been set up in various municipalities to help people without internet access were closed. The risk is that at the end of June, at the end of the last day to apply, tens of thousands of elderly people find themselves in an irregular position in the eyes of the British government, even if they have lived here for a long time. This is the case of many Italians who emigrated to the United Kingdom decades ago, who in the past had obtained the “indefinite leave to remain”, the certificate of residence that was then a guarantee but which, post Brexit, is not valid for the purposes of the right to stay.