With less than 6 months to go before the EU Settlement Scheme’s application deadline of 30 June 2021, European citizens are being urged to apply now to secure their rights in UK law.
The latest official statistics published today (21 January 2021) show that up to 31 December 2020 there had been almost 4.9 million applications to the EU Settlement Scheme.
This includes more than 4.4 million applications from England, 243,600 from Scotland, 80,700 from Wales and 78,500 from Northern Ireland up to 31 December 2020. In December alone there were 402,300 new applications to the scheme as people applied before the end of the transition period.
Minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster said:
Reaching almost 4.9 million applications to the hugely successful EU Settlement Scheme is terrific news. There is less than six months before the 30 June 2021 deadline and I would encourage all those eligible to apply now to secure their rights under UK law.
A wide range of support is available online and over the telephone if you need it and we are funding 72 organisations across the UK to ensure no one gets left behind.
The EU Settlement Scheme was launched on 30 March 2019 and at its height Home Office caseworkers were regularly processing up to 20,000 applications a day. The highest number of applications processed in one month was more than 400,000 in October 2019.
The EU Settlement Scheme uses cutting edge technology, including the EU Exit: ID Document Check app which allows people to apply from the comfort of their own home in as little as 15 minutes.
The Home Office also has a dedicated team of more than 1,500 people working on the EU Settlement Scheme, with support available seven days a week by telephone and by email. We have provided up to £17 million to a network of now 72 organisations across the UK who support vulnerable people in applying to the scheme. They include charities, local authorities and local government associations.
The Home Office has also run three bursts of marketing campaigns, spending £4.6 million. The latest burst ran throughout December 2020 to encourage EU citizens across the UK to apply.
