Three million granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme

The Home Office has today (19 March 2020) announced that more than three million have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, according to the latest internal figures.

The milestone was reached less than a year after the EU Settlement Scheme was launched to the public. The three million have now secured their rights in UK law, and can continue to live and work in the UK with no change to their daily lives.

Detailed official statistics show there have been more than 3.34 million applications to the scheme up to the end of February 2020 with more than 3 million applications from England, 166,300 from Scotland, 54,500 from Wales and 55,400 from Northern Ireland.

Minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster said:

EU citizens have made huge contributions to our country. It’s good news over three million have now been granted status and will be able to continue to call the UK home for decades to come.

Home Office caseworkers have regularly been processing up to 20,000 applications a day. The highest number of applications processed in one month was in October 2019 when more than 400,000 people were granted status.

A wide range of support is available online, over the phone and in person to help EU citizens apply. There are over 1,500 Home Office staff working on the EU Settlement Scheme with 250 Settlement Resolution Centre staff in place to provide assistance to applicants with any questions about the scheme or who need help applying.

Last year, the Home Office awarded £9 million funding to 57 charities across the UK who have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people already. A further £8 million of funding was announced earlier this month to help vulnerable EU citizens apply.

Chief Executive of PKAVS Paul Graham said:

We are pleased to be working with the Home Office to support vulnerable people in Perth and Kinross with their applications to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Through our free helpline, our events programme, and individual support, we have been able to provide vital assistance to those who need it most to help them secure their status under UK law.

Additional support is also available to those EU citizens in the UK who do not have the appropriate access, skills or confidence to apply. This includes over 300 assisted digital locations across the UK where people can be supported through their application and over 80 locations where people can have their passport scanned and verified.