PRESS RELEASE: Hundreds of EU citizens in Guildford stuck in Home Office backlog as cliff-edge looms
The Liberal Democrats are calling for all EU citizens in the UK to be given the automatic right to stay, as new figures reveal that 490 living in Guildford are still waiting for the Home Office to process their applications - with just five weeks to go before the Government's deadline.
The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics show that, as of the end of March, there have been 11,250 applications from people living in Guildford, with 10,760 of these concluded.
The party is warning that those who aren't given 'Settled Status' by the 30th June could become the victims of "a new Windrush-style scandal".
The figures also reveal that 5,020 people in Guildford have only been granted temporary 'Pre-Settled Status'. That means a total of 5,510 Guildford applicants have still not been given the permanent right to stay.
Responding to the figures, Zöe Franklin, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Guildford constituency, said:
"490 of our European friends and neighbours still don't know what will happen to them at the end of June. They are being forced to cross their fingers and hope the Home Office get to their application in time.
"I'm also very concerned by the number of EU citizens who have not yet been granted a permanent right to stay.
"EU citizens who've made their lives in Guildford contribute enormously to our economy, our public services and our society. They shouldn't be forced to live with this uncertainty and anxiety any longer."
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael added:
"Boris Johnson promised all EU citizens the automatic right to stay, but this enormous backlog and the growing number of refusals show that the Settled Status scheme is anything but automatic.
"It's not too late, but the Government must act now to prevent a new Windrush-style scandal in just a few weeks."
ENDS
Notes to editors
The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics by local authority can be found here.