More than 100,000 Europeans in the UK are in danger of losing their access to healthcare and other services next month because they have not yet applied for a residence permit. They still have nine days to apply.
They need that residence permit to live, work, build a pension and use other public services in the UK.
Europeans who lived in the UK before 2021 must apply for a residence permit by July. For those who did that, nothing will change after next week. But the people who have not yet applied for (pre-)settled status could end up in serious trouble.
Of the 820,000 Europeans living in the UK, 130,000 still have to apply. If they do not, they will not be able to rent a house, work or use social services in the UK from next month. Employers or landlords who do work with people who do not have a residence permit can get high fines for this.
It seems that especially vulnerable people have not yet applied for the permit. Some 90,000 people who still have to apply are dependent on a benefit.
Moreover, Europeans do not have to worry about the long queues for applying for residence permits. “The rights of anyone who has submitted an application before 30 June are protected until a final decision is taken on the application,” said a spokesperson.