Report by Migrant Voice November 2019 © Migrant Voice€¦ · About Migrant Voice Migrant Voice is...

A report on the experiences of EEA nationals

and their families in the EU Settlement Scheme

Unsettling

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ReportbyMigrantVoiceNovember2019©MigrantVoice

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Contents

AboutMigrantVoice.........................................................................................................................................4

Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................................................5

Keydefinitions...................................................................................................................................................5

Executivesummary...........................................................................................................................................7

Keyfindings...................................................................................................................................................7

MigrantVoice’sviewonthesefindings........................................................................................................9

Recommendations..........................................................................................................................................10

Introduction....................................................................................................................................................11

TheSettlementScheme..................................................................................................................................13

Howtheschemeworks...............................................................................................................................13

MigrantVoice’sroleinthedevelopmentofthescheme............................................................................14

Thesurvey.......................................................................................................................................................15

Methodology...............................................................................................................................................15

Overviewofresponses....................................................................................................................................17

1.Haveyouappliedforsettledstatus?.......................................................................................................17

2.Ifyes,whatwastheoutcome?................................................................................................................17

3.Howwastheapplicationprocess?..........................................................................................................18

4.Wereyouaskedtoprovideadditionalevidence?...................................................................................18

5.Wereyouabletouseyourphonetoverifyyouridentity(scanyourpassport)?....................................19

6.Howlongdidittaketogetadecision?...................................................................................................19

7.Didyougetadifferentdecisionfromwhatyouexpected(e.g.pre-settledstatusinsteadofsettled)?.20

8.Werethereanycomplicationsinthewholeapplicationprocess?.........................................................20

9.Howdiditmakeyoufeeltohavetoapply?............................................................................................21

10.Howdidtheapplicationprocessmakeyoufeel?..................................................................................21

11.Howdidyoufeelaftergettingadecision(ifyouhadone)?.................................................................22

12.Ifyouhaven’tappliedyet,why?...........................................................................................................22

Analysisoftheresponses................................................................................................................................24

Concernsraisedbythosewhohadapplied................................................................................................24

1. Additionalevidence.........................................................................................................................24

2. Identity.............................................................................................................................................25

3. Unclearinformationandlackofresponse.......................................................................................26

4. Technicalissues................................................................................................................................27

(i) Compatibility...................................................................................................................................27

(ii) Theinterface..................................................................................................................................27

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(iii) Confirmationnotreceived............................................................................................................28

5. Policyconcerns................................................................................................................................28

(i) Datahandling..................................................................................................................................28

(ii) Lackofphysicalproof....................................................................................................................28

(iii) Applicationnotregistration..........................................................................................................29

6. Waitingtime....................................................................................................................................29

Non-EEAnationals.......................................................................................................................................30

Case1......................................................................................................................................................30

Case2......................................................................................................................................................30

Other.......................................................................................................................................................31

Howdiditmakeyoufeel?...........................................................................................................................32

Stressandanxiety...................................................................................................................................32

Relief.......................................................................................................................................................33

Peoplewhohadnotapplied.......................................................................................................................34

1.Concernsabouttheprocessoroutcome............................................................................................34

2.Datasharing........................................................................................................................................34

3.Uncertainty..........................................................................................................................................35

4.Principleddecision..............................................................................................................................35

Informationfromotherorganisations............................................................................................................37

Identitydocumentsandproofofresidency................................................................................................37

Lackofsupport............................................................................................................................................37

Uncertaintyaboutoutcome........................................................................................................................38

Technicalissues...........................................................................................................................................39

Appendix:Thesurveyquestions.....................................................................................................................40

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AboutMigrantVoice

MigrantVoiceisthevoiceofmigrants,avoicewithapurpose.WeareaUK-based,migrant-ledorganisationdevelopingtheskillsandconfidenceofmigrants,empoweringthemtospeakforthemselvesabouttheirownlivesandissuesthataffecttheircommunities,tospeakclearlyandeffectivelyandthusdrivethechangetheyseek.

Whetherspeakingoutinthemediaoronpublicorpoliticalplatforms,theaimistocreatepositivechangeformigrants–counteringxenophobia,discriminationandunjustpolicies,strengtheningcommunities,andbringingsocialjustice–changewhichbenefitsthewholeofUKsociety.

Weworkwithmigrantsregardlessoftheirstatusandcountryoforigin,includingrefugeesandasylumseekers.Wearetrulynational,workingacrossLondon,GlasgowandtheWestMidlands,andwehavealargeandgrowingnetworkofmigrantsandnon-migrants(currently1,300)willingtoengageinpromotingmigrantvoicesandcreatingchange.

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Acknowledgments

MigrantVoicewouldliketothankallthosewhoparticipatedinourresearchforsharingtheirviewsandexperiences,includingthosewhocompletedthesurveyandthoseorganisationsworkingwithEEAnationalsandtheirfamilieswhocontactedusseparately.

Wewouldalsoliketothanktheteamthatworkedonputtingthisreporttogether,withaparticularmentiontoGiulianoGiannini.ThankyoualsotoWafaIslam,AlondraSierra,DanielNelsonandMartaArena.

Keydefinitions

BiometricResidencePermit(BRP):Containsamigrant’sname,dateandplaceofbirth,andbiometricinformation.Itshowstheirimmigrationstatusandentitlements.EEAnationalsarenotrequiredtoapplyfororholdaBRP.

Brexit:Abbreviationof“Britishexit”,thewithdrawaloftheUnitedKingdomfromtheEuropeanUnion.

CertificateofApplication(COA):Adocumentconfirmingtheholderhassubmittedavalidapplicationforaresidencecard.Severalpeoplewhorespondedtooursurveyreportedreceivingsomeformofconfirmationofapplication,whichtheyuse“COA”todescribe.

Dependents:ReferstoindividualswhoarenotcitizensofanEEAcountry,butarecloselyrelatedtoacitizenofanEEAcountry.Thisincludesspouses,childrenanddependentparents.

EuropeanEconomicArea(EEA):Includesall28EUcountriesandalsoIceland,LiechtensteinandNorway.ItallowsthemtobepartoftheEU’ssinglemarket.

EEAnationals:WeusetheterminthisreporttorefertopeoplewhoarecitizensofanEEAcountry.Othersmayrefertothemas“EUnationals”or“EUcitizens”.

EuropeanUnion(EU):Aneconomicandpoliticalunionof28countries.Itoperatesaninternal(orsingle)marketwhichallowsfreemovementofgoods,capital,servicesandpeoplebetweenmemberstates.

EUSettlementResolutionCentre:AhelplinerunbytheHomeOfficetoprovideadviceandinformationonapplicationstotheSettlementScheme.

EUSettlementScheme:AschemedesignedtoprovideEEAnationalsandtheirfamilieswitharoutetolivingandworkingintheUKbeyondthetransitionperiod.Thedeadlineis30June2021iftheUKleavestheEUwithadeal,31Decemberifthereisnodeal.

Freedomofmovement: OneofthecorerightsguaranteedtoEEAcitizens.Itgivestheseindividualsandtheirfamilymemberstherighttolive,work,establishbusinessesandstudyinanyotherEEAcountry.

GeneralDataProtectionRegulation(GDPR):Asetofrulesintroducedin2018designedtogiveEUnationalsmorecontrolovertheirpersonaldataandtoprotectthemfromprivacyanddatabreaches.

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HerMajesty’sRevenueandCustoms(HMRC):Anon-ministerialdepartmentoftheUKGovernmentresponsibleforthecollectionoftaxes,thepaymentofsomeformsofstatesupportandtheadministrationofotherregulatoryregimesincludingthenationalminimumwage.

IndefiniteLeavetoRemain(ILR):Animmigrationstatusthatallowsapersontoliveandworkforanunlimitedtimewithouthavingtoextendtheirvisa.Italsoenablesthemtoleaveandre-entertheUKmultipletimeswithoutimmigrationrestrictions.ILRcanlapseincertaincircumstances,forexample,ifoneleavestheUKanddoesnotreturnfortwoormoreyears.

NationalInsuranceNumber(NINo):AcodeuniquetoeachadultcitizenintheUK,andusedintheadministrationoftheNationalInsurancesystemandforsomepurposesinthetaxsystem.

P45:Thedocumentyoureceivewhenyouleaveajobcontainingalltheinformationanewemployerwillneedaboutyouroldsalary,taxcode,etc.It'salegalrequirementforemployerstosendaP45toallex-employeesafterthey'veleft.

P60:Asummaryofyourpayandalldeductionsinaspecifictaxyear.

PermanentResidence(PR):AnimmigrationstatussimilartoILRthatallowsapersontoresideintheUKpermanently.EEAnationalswhohavebeenlivingintheUKforatleast5yearswhilstexercisingatreatyrightqualifyforpermanentresidencestatusautomatically,butmustmakeaformalapplicationinordertobegrantedphysicalproofofPR.EEAPRwillnotbevalidafter31December2020soanEEACitizenwithPRmustapplyforeitherBritishcitizenshiporsettledstatus.

Pre-settledstatus:TemporaryleavetoremainintheUKforEEAnationalsandtheirfamilieswhohavebeenlivinghereforacontinuousperiodoflessthanfiveyearsandwhoapplythroughtheEUSettlementScheme.Afterreachingfiveyearscontinuousresidency,theseindividualscanapplyforsettledstatus.

Settledstatus:IndefiniteleavetoremainintheUKforEEAnationalsandtheirfamilieswhohavebeenlivingherecontinuouslyforfiveyearsormoreandwhoapplythroughtheEUSettlementScheme.

SurinderSinghRoute:Theprincipleestablishedbythe1992SurinderSinghcaseisthattherightinEUlawforapersontomovefromoneEUmemberstatetoanothermustincludearighttoreturn,otherwiseapersonwouldbedeterredfrommovinginthefirstplace.Inpractice,thismeansthataBritishpersonlivinginanotherEUmemberstatewiththeirnon-EUfamilymember(s)hastherighttobringthosefamilymembersbacktotheUKtoresidewithhim/herthere.

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Executivesummary

Thisreportistheresultofanonlinesurveyconductedbetween27Juneand2September2019.AnyoneeligibletoapplytotheEUSettlementScheme–allEEAnationalsandtheirfamilieslivingintheUK–waseligibletotakepartinthesurvey,whethertheyhadappliedtotheschemeornot,aswereorganisationsofferingsupporttoapplicants.

Wehadbeenhearingtroublingstoriesfromourmembersaboutdifficultiesapplyinganddelayedorwrongdecisions,andaboutadverseeffectsontheirmentalhealth,wellbeingandsenseofbelonging.Wewantedtofindoutmoreandtoamplifythevoicesofthisgroupofmigrantsinordertolobbyforthechangethatisneeded.

Wereceived229validresponsestothesurvey,including14fromindividualswecouldidentifyasnon-EEAfamilymembersofEEAnationals.Respondentscamefromatleast36differentcountries,including22ofthe27(non-UK)EUstates.

WhilethemajorityofthosewhocompletedthesurveyhadafairlypositiveexperienceoftheSettlementSchemeapplication,asignificantminoritydidnot–andone-thirdofthosewhorespondedhadnotappliedforavarietyofreasons,manyofthemtroubling.

Whilewewelcomethefactthatmostpeoplearefindingtheprocessasmoothone,wearedeeplyconcernedthatthisisfarfromtruefordozensofrespondents,experiencesthatlikelyrepresentthoseoftensorevenhundredsofthousandsofapplicantstothescheme.TheirexperiencesofandfeelingstowardstheEUSettlementSchemearethereforethefocusofthisreport.

Key findings

1. Almosthalf(49%)ofrespondentssaidtheyfoundtheapplicationprocess“difficult”(rangingfrom“slightly”to“very”).Almostfourinten(38%)wereaskedtoprovideadditionalevidence,withasimilarnumber(35%)sayingtheyfacedcomplicationsintheapplicationprocess.Scalingthisup,wecanassumethatthousands,ifnottensorhundredsofthousands,oftheestimated3.5millionpeopleeligibletoapplywillfacesimilarproblems,whichisdeeplyconcerning.(pp.18-19,20-1)

2. Dozensofpeopletoldustheyfeltashamed,scapegoatedorhumiliatedbytheschemeandtheprocessofapplying.It’ssignificantthat,formost,thesefeelingsdidn’tgoawayevenaftertheyweregrantedstatus,withmanyfacingdelaysandproblemswiththeapplicationprocess.Manyremainedfearfulthattheirrightsmaynotbeguaranteedandangrythattheyhadtoapplyatall.Askedhowtheyfeltaftergettingthedecision,onepersonsaidtheywere:“Partlyrelieved,butalsohumiliated,angry,thenapathetic,emptyanduncertainofmyfutureintheUK”.(pp.32-3)

3. AsignificantnumberofthosewhotoldustheywererequiredtoprovideadditionalevidenceoftheirresidenceintheUKsaidthatthisshouldnothavebeennecessaryastaxandNationalInsurancerecordsshouldhavebeensufficient.“It'saslapinthefacetopaytaxesfor10yearsandthenfindoutthatthestatedoesn'tevenhaveyourrecords,”saidoneperson.Othersfounditimpossibletoprovidethenecessaryevidence,withseveralpeoplefeelingforcedtoacceptthetemporarypre-settledstatusastheydidnothavethedocumentstoprovethattheywereeligibleforpermanentsettledstatus.Onepersoninthissituationsaidtheynolongerhadtheevidencetoprovetheir30yearsresidenceduetoadifficultdivorce.(pp.24-5)

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4. Dozensofpeopletoldustheyhadexperiencedtechnicalglitches,communicationproblems,delays

orHomeOfficemistakesduringtheprocessofapplying.Manyhadproblemsscanningtheirpassportusingtheapp,andseveralfoundtheappdidn’tworkevenonadevicethatwassupposedlycompatible.Threepeoplehadtobuyanewphonejusttoapply.SomeweregivenconflictingadvicebytheHomeOfficeandonepersondescribedtheirdealingswiththeResolutionCentreas“afarce”.(pp.26-8)

5. Severalpeopletoldustheyfacedproblemsprovingtheiridentityduetounavoidableandcompletelyexplicablediscrepanciesbetweendocuments.Thisincludedtwowomanwhohadchangedtheirsurnamewhentheygotmarried,andtwotransgenderpeople.Onetransgenderrespondentsaidtheywere“stuckinaloopandscaredaboutapplyingincasetheywillrejectmyapplication.”(pp.25-6)

6. One-thirdofrespondentstoldustheyhadn’t(yet)appliedtothescheme,withmanyawareoftheproblemsthatothershadfacedandfearfulthattheirapplicationwouldberefused,thatevidencewouldbeimpossibletogather,orthatsettledstatuswouldnotguaranteetheirrights.OnepersonsaidtheirmentaldisabilitymadetheprospectofapplyingsodauntingthattheyareleavingtheUKinordertoavoiddoingit.Anothersaidtheyhadlostalltheirdocumentsinahousefire.Othersaredeeplyfrustratedabouttheschemeandsaidtheyhadnotorwouldnotapplyonprinciple.“Itisaninsulttoapplytostayinmyhomeofthelast20years,”onepersonsaid.(pp.34-6)

7. Thereisaclearandworryingtrendthatnon-EEAapplicantsinoursurveyarewaitingmuchlongerfordecisionsandbeinggivenconfusingorcontradictoryguidanceontheirapplicationprocess.OnerespondentfromNigeriawastoldadecisioncouldtakeuptosixmonths,despiteHomeOfficeguidancestatingthatallapplicationsshouldbeprocessedwithinonemonth.ArespondentfromZimbabwewasleftfeeling“anxious”afterwaitingmorethanthreemonthsforadecision,whiletheirhusbandanddaughterreceivedstatuswithinafewdays.Itis“likethereissomesegregationofsomesort,”theysaid.Overall,almostone-thirdofrespondents(32%)waitedlongerthanaweek(theestimatedprocessingtimeformostapplications),withone-quarterofthem(8%overall)waitingmorethanamonth.(p.30-1)

8. Asignificantnumberofrespondentsexpressedangerorsadnessthattheyarerequiredtogothroughanapplicationratherthansimplyaregistrationprocess,andthereforefacethepossibility,howeverminimal,ofbeingrefused.“I’mfurious,”onepersonsaid.“Ihavebeenherefor24years,havepaidmytaxesforallthoseyears,havethreechildrenwhowereallbornhere.Thisismyhome!WhydoIneedtoapplytostayinmyownhome?”(pp.32,35)

9. Manytoldustheexperiencehadcausedsignificantstressandanxiety,withsixrespondentsmentioningfeelingdepressedandonesayingtheprocesshadleftthemfeelingliketakingtheirownlife.Otherssaidtheyweretooworriedabouttheprocessandtheoutcometoevenapply.“IamscaredandworriedthatIcannotputmyselfthroughthisstress,thatIwon'tcopewiththeuncertainty,”onepersonsaid.SeveralsaidtheywereplanningtoleavetheUKasaresult.(pp.32-3)

10. Therewaswidespreadangerandmistrustatthescheme’sdatapolicy,whichallowsthegovernmenttoshareapplicants’informationwithunnamedpublicandprivatesectororganisationsaroundtheworld.Severaltoldusthatthispolicywasthereasonwhytheyhadnot(yet)applied.

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“I’mnotdoinganythingbeforeIgetmoreinformationonhowmydataisused,”onepersonsaid.(pp.28,34)

11. Manywerealsoangryatthegovernment’sdecisionnottoofferphysicalproofofthestatusoncegranted.“Nophysicalevidenceistheworst-disasterwaitingtohappen,”saidoneperson.(pp.28-9,35)

12. FourorganisationsthatareworkingwithpotentiallyvulnerableEEAnationalsandtheirdependents–includingthosewithnofixedabodeandRomacommunities–raisedsignificantconcerns.Manyoftheirclientsdon’thaveapassportandmusteitherpayupto£100togetoneorsendofftheironlyformofIDtotheHomeOfficewhentheyapplytothescheme.LimitedsupportisavailableformanyRomacommunities,thosewithlimitedEnglish,andchildrenandadultsincare,andscammersaretakingadvantage,insomecaseschargingbetween£350and£1,000tocompletesomeone’sapplication.(pp.37-9)

Migrant Voice’s view on these findings

Thesefindingsaredeeplyconcerning,especiallygiventhevastscaleofthisschemeandthedevastatingconsequencesforthosewhoarefailedbyitorwhodonotapplybeforethedeadline:thesuddenlossoflawfulresidenceintheUKandalltherightsthatgowiththat.

Millionsofpeoplechangetheirnamewhentheygetmarried,millionsmoreareself-employed,andtensofthousands(ifnotmore)maybeunawaretheyneedtoapplyorunabletoaccessthetechnologyorguidancetheyneed.Whiletherehavebeenmorethan2.4millionapplicationstotheschemeasofNovember2019,itislikelythatmanyofthosefacingthemostsevereobstacleshaveyettoapply,andthereisthereforestilltimetomakethenecessarychanges.

Thatsomanypeoplearefacingsignificanttechnicalproblems,poorguidance,delaysandalackofcommunicationistroubling–butequallyconcerningisthesevereimpactonthehealthandwellbeingofsomanyofthoseapplyingorfacingtheprospectofit.

Forthesepeople,theprocesshasnotbeenthe“transparent,smoothandstreamlined”onethatwaspromisedinthe2017WithdrawalAgreement.

Thereisanurgentneedforamoreefficientandaccurateapplicationprocessingsystem,foranendtothepolicythatwillturnunknownnumbersofUKresidentsintoundocumentedmigrants,andforanexpansionofsupportnetworkswheretheseareneededmost.

WecallonallUKpoliticiansandallwhohavearoletoplayinthecontinueddevelopmentandimplementationoftheEUSettlementSchemetoreadthisreportandactswiftlyonitsrecommendations.

Themessage,repeatedsooftenbyourpoliticians,thatEEAnationalsandtheirfamiliesarewelcomeheremustbemadearealitythroughlegislationthatguaranteestheirrights,regardlessoftheoutcomeofBrexit,andthroughadeclaratoryorregistrationschemethatworksforall.

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Recommendations

MigrantVoice’srecommendationshavebeendevelopedasaresultofboththissurveyandourworksince2016ontherightsofEEAnationalsandtheirfamilies.

WeurgetheGovernmentto:

1.EnshrinetherightsofallEEAnationalsandtheirfamiliesresidentintheUKinlaw,ensuringtheirrightsareprotectedwhatevertheoutcomeofBrexit;

2.Ensurethatnoonebecomesundocumentedasaresultofnothavingappliedtothescheme,ornotupgradingpre-settledtosettledstatusafterfiveyears,bymakingthisadeclaratoryorregistrationschemethatisnottimelimited;

3.Endthecurrentdatasharingpolicyandensurethatapplicants’dataisusedonlyfortheprocessingoftheirapplicationandsharednofurther;

4.IncreasethelevelofsupportforvulnerablegroupswhoareeligiblefortheschemeacrosstheUKandensurethatanygapsareswiftlyfilled;

5.ImprovetheavailabilityofadvisersattheEUSettlementResolutionCentreandensuretheyarefullytrainedtoprovidecorrectguidancetothoseseekingadvice;

6.Committoprocessingallapplicationswithinonemonth,includingthoseofnon-EEAapplicants,andprovidetransparentreasonswherethisisnotpossible;

7.Improvethefunctionalityofthesystemsindividualsareusingtoapplytothescheme,includingtheapp;

8.Improvethefunctionalityofthesystemincaseswherethereisachangeofnameoridentity;

9.Investigatehowitispossiblethatinformationaboutanindividual’sresidencethatshouldberetrievablewiththeirNationalInsuranceNumberisinsomecasesnotbeingretrievedandimprovethefunctionalityofthissystem;

10.Increasethenumberofcentreswhereapplicantscanhavetheirdocumentsscanned,andworktoensurethatfreeappointmentsarealwaysavailable.

11.Informallapplicantswhoaregrantedpre-settledstatushowtheycanchallengethisdecisioniftheybelievetheyshouldhavebeengrantedsettledstatus;

12.Offerphysicalordigitalproof(easilyaccessibletotheindividual)ofpre-settledorsettledstatus,oncegranted;

13.Providemoredataonapplicationstothescheme–includingbyregionandgender–inthemonthlypublishedstatisticsandseparateoutthenumberofapplicantsfromthenumberofapplications,toensuretransparencyandenableboththegovernmentandorganisationstomakesurevulnerablegroupshaveaccesstosupport.

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Introduction

Sincethe2016EUreferendum,therightsandfutureofEEAnationalslivingintheUKhasbeenamajorareaofdiscussion,amongboththepublicandpoliticians.TheEUallowsforthefreemovementofgoods,services,capitalandpeoplewithinthesinglemarket–andmillionsofEEAnationalshadenjoyedthatfreedombymovingtoandsettlingintheUK.ItwasassumedthatafterBrexitthisrighttofreemovementwouldend,bothforEEAnationalswantingtomovetotheUKandforUKnationalswantingtomovetootherEEAcountries.Butwhatshouldhappentotheestimated3.5millionEEAnationalsandtheirdependentsalreadylivingintheUK?

WhileUKpoliticiansinsistedrepeatedlythatEEAnationalsandtheirfamiliesalreadyintheUKwerewelcometostayandwouldretaintheirrights,theGovernmentwasalsoaccusedofusingthemas“bargainingchips”inthenegotiationprocess.InDecember2017,18monthsafterthereferendum,theUKreachedanagreementwiththeEUoncitizens’rights(amongothermatters).ThislaidouttheprinciplesbehindwhatbecametheEUSettlementSchemeandanapplicationprocessforsettledstatuswasdevelopedoverseveralmonths.ItwaslaunchedinitiallyasapilotinNovember2018andofficiallyon30March2019,thedayaftertheUKwasoriginallyscheduledtoleavetheEU.The£65feeforeachapplicationhadbeenscrappedinJanuary,partwaythroughthepilot.

EEAnationalsandtheirdependentswhohavelivedcontinuouslyintheUKforatleastfiveyearsareeligibleforsettledstatus,whichisindefiniteleavetoremain.ThosewhohavelivedintheUKforlessthanfiveyearsareeligibleforpre-settledstatus,whichcanbe“upgraded”tosettledstatusoncethefive-yearmarkisreached.Pre-settledstatusexpiresfiveyearsaftertheissuedateandcurrentrulessuggestthatthosewhodonotupgradetosettledstatusbeforethatpointwillthenbeintheUKunlawfully.

Thescaleoftheschemeisunprecedented,withover3.5millionindividualseligible,andindeedurged,toapply–andeachapplicationtobeassessedindividually.Thosewhodonotapplybeforethedeadline,orwhoarerefusedstatus,willbeintheUKunlawfullybeyondthatdate.Akeyconcernthereforeremains:howdoweensurethatallthosewhoareeligibledoapplyandthatnoonebecomesundocumented,eitherasaresultofnotapplyingorbecausetheschemehasfailedthem?

AccordingtothelateststatisticspublishedbytheHomeOfficeonthisscheme(November2019),therehavebeen2,450,500applicationssinceitlaunched.1Ofthese,60%havebeengrantedsettledstatusand40%pre-settledstatus.Fourapplicationshavebeenrefusedand525,200applicationshavenotyetbeenconcluded.However,theGovernmenthasrecentlyacknowledgedthatthefigurespublishedintheseupdatesdonotaccuratelyrepresentthenumberofpeoplewhohaveappliedtothescheme,asanindividual’sapplicationforpre-settledstatusandlaterapplicationto“upgrade”tosettledstatusarecountedseparately.2ThismeansthatfewerpeoplehaveappliedtotheschemethantheheadlinefigureoneachHomeOfficeupdatesuggests.

Withinweeksoftheschemeopening,webecameconcernedthatthesestatisticswerenottellingthefullstory.Wewerehearingfromourmembersaboutdifficultiesapplyinganddelayedorwrongdecisions,andabouttheimpactsontheirmentalhealth,wellbeingandsenseofbelonging.Manywereangrythatapplicantsarerequiredtoagreetotheirdatabeingsharedwithunnamed“publicandprivatesectororganisationsintheUKandoverseas”;thattherightsthatcomewithsettledstatusarenotcementedinprimarylegislation;andthatsuccessfulapplicantsaregivennoproofoftheirnewstatus.Wewantedto

1‘EUSettlementSchemeStatistics,October2019’,HomeOffice,14November2019.2‘HomeOfficeadmitsdoublecountingintheEUsettlementstatistics,’KubaJablonowski,FreeMovement,28October2019.

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learnmoreabouttheissuesandamplifythevoicesofthisgroupofmigrantsinordertolobbyforthechangethatisneeded.

Between27June2019whenoursurveywaslaunchedand2September2019whenitclosed–anduntilnow–hugepoliticalandparliamentarychangeshavehadsignificantimpactontheEEAnationalsandthefamilieswewereseekingtoreach.TheresaMaywasreplacedbyBorisJohnsonasPrimeMinister,whopromisedtodeliverBrexiton31October,dealornodeal.Afewweekslater,HomeSecretaryPritiPatelprovokedoutrageandbewildermentinmanyquarterswhensheannouncedthatfreemovementwouldendon31Octoberinthecaseofano-dealBrexit–aproposalwidelycriticisedasunfairandunworkableasitwouldhavemadeitextremelydifficultforEEAnationalsandtheirfamilieswhohadbeenintheUKpriorto31Octoberandwhohadn’tyetbeengrantedsettledorpre-settledstatustoprovethattheywereherelawfully.Itwassoondropped,butthisdidlittletoassuagetheconcernsofmanyEEAresidentsintheUK.Asaresultofthedebacle,someEEAnationalsmayhaveappliedtotheSettlementSchemesoonerthantheymightotherwisehave,andtheproposalandaftermathmayhaveinformedsomeoftheresponsestooursurvey.

WehavesinceseenthenewPrimeMinisterattemptandfailtogethisWithdrawalAgreementBillthroughParliament,buteventuallysucceedinhisbidforaGeneralElection,tobeheldon12December.Inthesameperiod,theEUgrantedarequestfromtheUKtodelayBrexitbyanotherthreemonths.Thecurrentscheduleddeparturedateis31January2020.

LittlehaschangedinthisperiodregardingtheSettlementSchemedirectly.However,sinceoursurveyclosed,wehaveseentheappthatEEAnationalsarerequiredtodownloadinordertoapplybecomeavailableoniPhone(models7andnewer).IthadpreviouslybeenasignificantproblemforsomethatithadonlybeenavailableonAndroiddevices.

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TheSettlementScheme

How the scheme works

EEAnationalsandtheirfamiliescanapplytotheEUSettlementSchemetocontinuelivingintheUKafter30June2021,accordingtoofficialguidance.ThisisalsothedeadlineforapplyingiftheUKleavestheEUwithadeal.IftheUKleavestheEUwithoutadeal,thedeadlinewillmoveforwardto31December2020.

Iftheapplicationissuccessful,applicantsaregrantedeithersettledstatus(ifresidentintheUKforatleastfiveyears)orpre-settledstatus(ifresidentintheUKforlessthanfiveyears).3

Thoseapplyingneed:

• Proofofidentity:inmostcases,thisiseitherapassportornationalidentitycard4• Adigitalphotooftheirface• ProofoftheirresidenceintheUK

Applicantscaneitherscantheiridentitydocumentanduploadtheirphotousingthe‘EUExit:IDDocumentCheck’app(whichisnowavailableoniPhone7andaboveaswellasAndroidphones),orsendtheirdocumentinthepostanduploadtheirphotousingtheonlineapplication.Ifanapplicanthasabiometricpassport/IDcardoraUK-issuedBiometricResidencePermitbutdoesnothaveaccesstoasmartphonecompatiblewiththeapp,theycanvisitoneoftheorganisationsthathasofferedtoscananduploadtherequesteddocuments.

Toprovecontinuousresidence,applicantsusuallyneedtohavelivedintheUK,theChannelIslandsortheIsleofManforatleastsixmonthsineach12-monthperiod.IndividualsapplyingtotheEUSettlementSchemecangivetheirNationalInsuranceNumber(NINo)toallowanautomatedcheckoftheirresidencebasedontaxandcertainbenefitrecords.AccordingtoHomeOfficeguidance,theywillonlyneedtoprovidefurtherevidenceifnotenoughdatacanbegatheredfromtheNINochecktoconfirmtheirresidence.

Duringtheapplicationprocess,applicantsareaskedtodeclareconvictionsthatappearintheircriminalrecordintheUKoroverseas(applicantsdonotneedtodeclare‘spentconvictions’or‘cautions’).Thegovernmentwebsitestatesthatapplicantsaged18oroverwillalsobecheckedagainsttheUK’scrimedatabase.However,itemergedinSeptember2019thatapplicantsaged10-17arealsobeingcheckedforcriminalrecords.5

Peoplewhohavebeenconvictedofaminorcrimewillstillbeeligibleforsettledorpre-settledstatus,andmaystillbeeligiblewithmoreseriousconvictions.Theseapplicationswillbedealtwithonacase-by-casebasis.

Non-EEAapplicantsmayapplyiftheyareaclosefamilymemberordependentofanEEAnationalorinseveralotherspecificcircumstances,listedontheUKgovernmentwebsite.

Applicantsareinformedofthedecisionbyemailandmostofthosewhoaregrantedsettledorpre-settledstatusdonotreceiveanyphysicalproofofthis.Successfulapplicantscanviewtheirstatusorproveittosomeoneelseonline.

3Therearesomecategoriesofpeoplewhodonotneedtoapply,includingIrishcitizens.4Unlesstheyareinpossessionofavalidpermanentresidencedocumentorsimilar.5‘AngerasHomeOfficeconfirmsprimaryschoolchildrenofEUcitizenstobecheckedforcriminalrecords’,MayBulman,TheIndependent,10September2019.

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Migrant Voice’s role in the development of the scheme

SincebeforetheEUreferendum,MigrantVoicehasbeencallingfortherightsofEEAnationalsandtheirfamiliestobepreservedandhaslobbiedfortheschemetobebasedonregistrationordeclarationratherthanapplication.Wehavealsobeencallingforaschemethatwillnotleaveanyoneundocumentediftheydonotapply.

Inearly2018MigrantVoicewasinvited,alongwithanumberofotherorganisations,tositononeofseveralHomeOfficeusergroupstoadviseonthedesignandimplementationoftheEUSettlementScheme.Wehad(andstilldohave)significantconcernsregardingthisschemeandwesawthisinvitationasanopportunitytovoicetheseandtoinfluenceitsfurtherdevelopment.

Inusergroupmeetingssincethen,weandothershaveflaggedourconcernsregarding,forexample,vulnerablegroupswhomayhavedifficultyapplyingandissueswiththedesignoftheschemeandthequestionsaskedofapplicants(e.g.regardingcriminalconvictions).TheHomeOfficehastakensomeofthisadviceandmadesomechangesaccordingly.

15

Thesurvey

Asnotedabove,thesurveywasborneoutofaconcernthatatleastsomeEEAnationalswerefacingdifficulties,delaysorbaddecisionsintheprocessofapplyingtotheSettlementScheme,andthatmanywerefrustratedorupsetattheprospectorprocessofapplying.Wewerealsoawarethatotherswerechoosingnottoapplyatall,eitherwaitingtoseehowpoliticaleventsdevelopedordecidingtoboycotttheschemealtogether.Wewerekeentohearfromasmanypeopleindifferentsituationsaspossible,includingthosewhohaven’tappliedandpeoplewhohaveappliedandfacednoproblems.

TheaimwastogiveEEAnationalsintheUKameanstosharetheirexperiences,thoughtsandfeelingsontheSettlementScheme–anditsimpactontheirlives–andtoidentifyproblemsthatwecouldthenraisewiththeHomeOfficeandinotherinfluentialforawiththegoalofcontributingtotheimprovementofthescheme.

Methodology

Theonlinesurvey,hostedbySurveyMonkey,wasopenfrom27Juneto2September2019.MigrantVoicedisseminatedinformationaboutthesurvey,includingalinktoit,viaitssocialmediaplatforms,mailinglists,andmigrantnetworks,aswellasbywordofmouth.Itwasfurthercirculatedbyotherorganisationstotheircontacts.Itwasinitiallysharedinsomecasesasasurveyonlyforthosewhohadalreadyapplied,butthiswaslaterrectified.

Thesurveycomprised17questions,including12multiple-choicequestions(sevenofwhichalsoofferedspaceforafurtherwrittenresponse,promptedbythephrase‘Pleaseexplain’)andfiveopen-endedquestionsrequiringonlywrittenresponses.Notallquestionswerecompulsory.(SeethefulllistofquestionsintheAppendix.)

Somewerefactualquestions(e.g.‘Haveyouappliedtothesettlementscheme?’),whileothersaskedrespondentstogiveanansweronascale(e.g.‘Howwastheapplicationprocess?Easy/Slightlydifficult/Moderatelydifficult/Verydifficult),andothersstillwereopenquestionsregardingrespondents’feelingsorexperiences(e.g.‘Howdiditmakeyoufeeltohavetoapply?’).

Therewerequestionstohelpdeterminewhethertheindividualwaseligibletocompletethesurvey(‘AreyouanEEAnationaloradependentofone?’),aquestionabouttheircountryoforigin,andaquestionregardingwhethertheindividualwashappyforustocontactthemforfurtherinformation.ThesurveyallowedforrepresentativesoforganisationsworkingwithEEAnationalsand/ortheirdependentstocompletethequestions,providinginformationaboutindividualswhowerehavingproblemswiththescheme.Werequestedthattheserepresentativescompletethesurveyonceforeachcasetheywishedtoshare.Wealsoencouragedorganisationstocontactusseparatelyaboutissuesorproblemsfacedbymembersorclients,andseveraldidso.

Therewasaspecificmultiplechoicequestionforthosewhohadnotappliedtofindoutthereasonsforthis,andspacefortheserespondentstoprovidefurtherinformation.

Thesurveyreceived331responses,ofwhich229wereconsideredvalid.Individualswhoseresponseswereconsideredinvalideitherdidnotcompletethecompulsoryquestionsinthesurveyorwerenoteligibletotakethesurveyduetotheirstatus(i.e.theywerenotanEEAnational,adependentofone,oramemberofanorganisationfillingthesurveyonbehalfofanEEAnational/dependent).

16

Ofthose229respondents,192answeredanoptionalquestionregardingtheircountryoforigin.Thirty-sixnationalitiesarerepresentedintheresults:22EUcountries,twoEEAcountries(IcelandandNorway),and12non-EEAcountries.Wedidnotgatheranyinformationregardingtheageorgenderofrespondents.

Thefollowinganalysisisbasedonthe229validresponses.Noteveryrespondentansweredeveryquestion,soanalysisofsomequestionsisbasedonasmallersamplethan229.Furthermore,insomequestionswheretherewasbothamultiple-choiceoptionandacommentbox,somerespondentsdidnottickanyboxesbutonlywroteacomment.Sowhiletheyrespondedtothequestion,theydidnotprovideanydataforthequantitativeanalysis:theserespondentsarerepresentedbyasegmentlabelled‘Noboxticked’inthepiechartsbelowwherethisisrelevant.

Thefirstanalysissectionlooksprimarilyatthequantitativedataretrievedforeachquestion(questionsdetermininganindividual’seligibilityforthesurveyorwillingnesstobecontactedarenotaddressed);thesecondprovidesanalysisofthefindings,drawingonresponsesfromacrossthesurvey;andthethirddrawstogethertheinformationprovidedoutsidetheonlinesurveybyorganisationsworkingwithEEAnationalsandtheirdependentsonSettlementSchemeapplications.

Weareawareofthelimitationsofourmethodology.Whileitiscertainlypossibletodrawvalidconclusionsfromthe229validresponseswereceived,giventhehugenumberofpeopleeligibleforthisscheme,itisclearthatamuchlargersurveyisalsoneeded,perhapsevenalongitudinalstudythatanalysesindividuals’experiencesofthewholeprocess.Afterall,thissurveygivesonlyasnapshotofanumberofindividuals’experiencesatasinglemomentineachperson’sengagementwiththescheme,andmaynotberepresentativeoftheiroverallexperience.

It’salsoimportanttonotethatanunknownnumberofpeoplewhorespondedtothesurveyhavingeithernotyetappliedornotyetreceivedadecisionmaysincehaveappliedorbeengrantedsettled/pre-settledstatus.

Secondly,weareawarethatthesurveywasmorelikelytoattractrespondentswhohadfacedproblemswiththeschemeandmaythereforenotberepresentativeoftheoverallexperienceofthe2.4million(orso)peoplewhohaveappliedsofar.Thosewhoseexperiencehadbeeneasyandsmoothwerelesslikelytoseekoutortakeupanopportunitytosharethatexperience,andtheymaythereforebeunder-representedintheresults.

WearealsoawarethatmanyEEAnationals/dependentswhoarefacingthemostseverebarrierstoapplyingwillnothavecompletedthissurvey,oftenforthesamereasonsthattheyhavenotappliedtothescheme:theymaybeunawaretheyneedto,theymaynothaveaccesstoortheabilitytousetechnology,theymaybephysicallyormentallyill,ortheymaynothavestrongEnglishlanguageskills.Itislikelythatthescaleoftheproblemsthatareexploredinthisreportareevenworseformanyofthegroupswhohavenotyetappliedandarefacingsignificantbarriers,e.g.childrenincare,peoplewithnofixedabode.Someoftheseissueswereraisedbyorganisationsandaresummarisedinthefinalanalysissection.

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Overviewofresponses

ThequantitativedatapresentedinthissectionfocusesontheresponsesfromthosewhohadappliedtotheSettlementSchemeastherewereonlytwoquestionsinoursurveythatrelatedtothosewhohadnotyetapplied.Weexploretheirexperiencesindetailinalateranalysissection.

1. Have you applied for settled status?

Outof229validresponses,153individuals(67%)saidtheyhadapplied.One-third(33%)hadnotapplied(yet).Aseparatequestionaskedthosewhohadnotappliedaboutthereasonsforthis;theiranswerswillbeexploredinthenextanalysissection.

2. If yes, what was the outcome?

Themajorityofrespondentstothisquestion(69%)saidtheyhadbeengrantedsettledstatus,while14%peoplehadgotpre-settledstatus.Atthetimetheyfilledinthesurvey,17respondentshadnotreceivedaresponse,andeightsaidtheyhadgotneithersettlednorpre-settledstatus.

Noneoftheseeightrespondentshadbeenrefusedstatus,asisrevealedbyfurtherinformationprovidedinthecommentboxforthisquestion.Instead,mosthadgotstucksomewhereintheprocessforvarious

67%

33%YesNo

69%14%

5%10%2%

Igotsettledstatus

Igotpre-settledstatus

Igotneitheroftheabove

Ihaven'treceivedthefinalresponseyetNoboxticked

18

reasons,e.g.becauseHomeOfficerecordsdidnotconfirmtheirresidence,becausetheyneededtouploadtheirdocumentsatadesignatedcentreandcouldnotfindanavailableappointment,orbecausetheyhadfacedatechnicalissueandwerewaitingforinformationregardinghowtoproceedwiththeirapplication.

3. How was the application process?

Justunderhalfofthosewhorespondedtothisquestionsaidthattheapplicationprocesshadbeen“easy”,withtheremainderselectingvariouslevelsof“difficult”(from“slightlydifficult”to“verydifficult”).Itisconcerningthatmorethan1in10(12%)saidtheprocesshadbeen“verydifficult”.

Seventy-onerespondentsprovidedfurtherinformationinthecommentboxforthisquestion.Someofthereasonsprovidedfordifficultiesweretechnicalissues(e.g.theappnotworkingproperly),delaysinreceivingadecision,andproblemsretrievingfurtherevidencerequiredtoproveresidence.Theseareaddressedingreaterdetailinthenextsection.

4. Were you asked to provide additional evidence?

48%

19%

18%12% 3%

Easy

Slightlydifficult

Moderatelydifficult

Verydifficult

Noboxticked

38%59%

3%

Yes

No

Noboxticked

19

Themajorityofrespondentstothisquestion(59%)saidtheydidnotneedtoprovideadditionalevidencefortheirapplicationtobeprocessed,with38%indicatingthattheywererequiredtoprovideevidencebeyondtheinitialphotograph,IDdocumentandNINo.

5. Were you able to use your phone to verify your identity (scan your passport)?

Aroundsixintenofthosewhorespondedtothisquestionsaidtheywereabletousetheirownphonetocompletetheinitial,digitalpartoftheapplicationandforwardtheinformationfromtheirpassportorIDdocumenttotheHomeOffice.

Justunder40%saidtheywereunabletodothis.Thisdoesnotmeanthattheywereunabletoapply,astheirfurthercommentsshow.Mostusedafriendoracquaintance’sphonetoscantheirpassport.

Sinceoursurveyclosed,theapphasbecomeavailableoniPhone(models7andabove).Whilesomepeopledonotownanykindofsmartphoneandwillthereforestillneedtoborrowadevicetocompletethispartoftheapplication,itislikelythattheproportionofpeopleunabletousetheirownphonewoulddecreasesignificantlyifweweretoconductthesurveynow.

6. How long did it take to get a decision?

61%37%

2%Yes

No

Noboxticked

40%

28%

24%8%Uptotwodays

Uptooneweek

Oneweektoonemonth

Onemonthtothreemonths

20

Thiswasanopenquestionwith158responses.Fromtheseresponseswecreatedaseriesofcategoriesthatcouldrepresenttherangeofexperiences.Twenty-eightresponsesweredismissedasinvalid,e.g.whereinsufficientinformationwasprovidedtoidentifythetimeframe.

Fourintenrespondentssaidtheyhadreceivedadecisionwithintwodays,withafurther28%receivingtheirswithinaweek.For24%,thedecisiontookbetweenoneweekandonemonth,with8%waitinguptothreemonths.Thequickesttimegivenwas“moments”,withthelongest“3months”.

HomeOfficeguidancecurrentlystatesthatapplicationsusuallytakearoundfiveworkingdaystoprocess,butthatthiscantakeuptoamonth.Thismeansthatalmostone-thirdofrespondentstooursurveyhadtowaitlongerthantheusualprocessingtime,withalmostoneintenwaitingevenlongerthanthelongesttimeestimatedbytheHomeOffice.

7. Did you get a different decision from what you expected (e.g. pre-settled status instead of settled)?

Outof159peoplewhorespondedtothisquestion,85%saidthatthedecisiontheyreceivedwasnotdifferentfromtheirexpectations,whetherthiswassettledorpre-settledstatus.Sixteenpeopledidgetadifferentdecisiontotheonetheyexpected.Ofthose16whoprovidedadditionalinformation,sevensaidtheyhadbeengrantedpre-settledwhentheyexpectedsettledstatus.

8. Were there any complications in the whole application process?

10%

85%

5%Yes

No

Noboxticked

35%

63%

2%

YesNoNoboxticked

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Almosttwo-thirds(63%)oftherespondentstothisquestionsaidtheydidnotencounteranycomplicationsintheprocessofapplying,with35%answering“yes”.

Theissuesraisedinthecommentboxwerevariedandincludedtechnicalissues,additionalevidencebeingrequired,supportingevidencebeingignored,andtheHomeOfficenotreplyingtorequestsforclarification.Thesewillbeexploredlater.

9. How did it make you feel to have to apply?

Threeofthesurveyquestionsweredesignedtoexplorerespondents’feelingsandemotionsduringandaftertheprocess.

Ofthe168responsestothisquestion,mostwerenegative,withwordssuchas“unwelcome”,“unwanted”,“angry”featuringfrequently.Thewordcloudaboverepresentssomeofthewordsusedtodescribetherespondents’feelingsastheylearnedtheyhadtoapplytothescheme,withthesizeofeachwordscaledtorepresentthenumberoftimesitwasmentioned.(Thesamemethodologyappliestothecreationofthetwofollowingwordclouds.)

10. How did the application process make you feel?

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Again,ofthe162responsestothisquestion,themajoritywerenegative,withwordssuchas“stressed”,“angry”and“nervous”recurringfrequently.

11. How did you feel after getting a decision (if you had one)?

Ofthe155peoplewhoresponded,“relieved”wasthemostcommonanswer,followedby“stillwaiting”,indicatingthenumberofpeoplewhohadnotyetreceivedaresponse.

Formany,thenegativefeelingshadnotgoneawayafterthedecisionwasreceived,withwordssuchas“bitter”,“unimpressed”and“angry”alsofeaturing.

12. If you haven’t applied yet, why?

Morethanone-quarterofthosewhorespondedtothisquestion(27%)toldusthatthereasontheyhadnotappliedwasbecausetheydidnotwantto.Aroundhalfthatnumbersaidtheywereworriedtheymaynotgetapositivedecision.Ofthosewhoanswered,5%toldustheyeitherdidn’tknowhowtoapplyorwantedhelptodoso.

13%6% 3%

27%2%

47%

2%

IamworriedImaynotgetapositivedecisionIamstillgatheringinformationandevidenceIdon’tknowhowtoapply

Idon’twanttoapply

Iwanthelptoapply

Other

Noboxticked

23

Almosthalfticked‘Other’andmanyoftheserespondents–aswellasmostwhohadtickedoneofthemultiplechoiceanswers–providedfurtherinformationinthecommentsection.

Themostcommonreasonsgivenwereconcernsaboutdatasharing,uncertainty(aboutwhetherBrexitwillhappen,whatitwillmeanforfreemovement,andwhatsettledstatuswillmeanfortheirrightslongterm),worriesabouttheirabilitytoproveresidence,andoutragethattheyarebeingaskedtoapplyatall.Thesewillbeexploredinmoredetaillater.

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Analysisoftheresponses

Thissectiontakesacloserlookatthesurveyresponses,firstfocusingontheproblemsorconcernsthatwereraisedbythosewhohadapplied,andthenlookingattheresponsesfromthosewhohadnotapplied.

Asisclearfromthedataabove,whilethemajorityofrespondentshadanoverallpositiveexperienceoftheapplicationprocess,asignificantminoritydidnot,whichiscauseforconcern.Ifwescalethisup,itislikelythathundreds,thousandsoreventensofthousandsofothersarealsofacingproblems,giventhatmorethan3.5millionpeopleareeligibletoapply(andmorethan2.4millionapplicationshavealreadybeenmade).

Forexample,severalrespondentstoldusthat,duetoself-employment,ithadbeendifficulttoprovetheirresidence.AsofSeptember2019,15%oftheUKworkforceisself-employed,makingitlikelythat,evenwithaconservativeestimate,hundredsofthousandsofapplicantstotheSettlementSchememayfacesimilarproblems.6

Concerns raised by those who had applied

Itisclearthat,whiletheHomeOfficecontinuestoclaimthattheprocessisfastandeasyforthemajorityofapplicants,manypeoplearefacingafrustrating,slowanderror-riddenprocess,evenwhentheirapplicationshouldbesimple.Someclaimtheirsupportingevidencewassimplyignored;severalself-employedapplicantshavefacedproblemsprovingtheirworkhistory;andforsomewomen,adiscrepancybetweentheirmarriedandmaidennamesonvariousdocumentshasmadeitdifficulttoprovetheiridentity.Othershavebeengrantedpre-settledstatuswhentheyareeligibleforthepermanent,andthereforelessprecarious,settledstatus,whilemanyfacedtechnicalorcommunicationsissuesduringtheprocess.

Asignificantnumberofrespondentsreportedfacingseveraldifferent,unrelatedproblemsduringtheprocess,makingtheapplicationmuchmoretime-consumingandstressfulthanitshouldbe.Onesuchrespondentsaid:

Appmisbehaved,itwasverydifficulttoscanpassport,andinstructionwashardtofind.Thensystemsaiditcan'tfindproofofmypresenceintheUKinpast6months(I'mherefromover6years),soIattachedprooffrompast6months.Itonlyturnedoutafter6weeksofwaitingand2phonecallsthatIhavetoprovideprooffor1moreyear.

Wenowaddressinturnthekeyconcernsraisedbythosewhohadappliedtotheschemeatthetimeofcompletingthesurvey.

1. Additional evidence

Asnotedearlier,62peoplewhorespondedtothesurveysaidthattheirapplicationhadrequiredfurtherevidenceoftheirresidencebeyondtheinitialidentitycheckandprovisionoftheirNINo.Itisclearfromseveralfurtherwrittenresponsesthatthiswasunexpected,andthattheserespondentsbelievedtheHome

6‘EmploymentintheUK:November2019’,OfficeforNationalStatistics,12November2019.

25

Officeshouldhavebeenabletoaccessalltherequiredevidencefromtheirinitialinformation.Anumberofthoseaffectedstatedthattheyareself-employed.

Onesuchindividualsaid:

Ineedtoprovideevidenceofmyresidence.Iwasself-employedfortwoyears,yetHMRCdoesnothavemyrecords,soIneedtolookforoldbills,etc.

Theyadded:

It'saslapinthefacetopaytaxesfor10yearsandthenfindoutthatthestatedoesn'tevenhaveyourrecords.Whataboutpeoplewhodidn'trealisethey'dneedtheirbillsfrom10yearsagoanddisposedofthem?PeoplewhoseemployersneversentthemP45s,P60s?Thishappensallthetime.

Asecondrespondentwasinitiallygrantedpre-settledstatus,whilebeingeligibleforsettledstatus.Tochallengethedecision,theyhadtoprovidefurtherevidenceevenforyearswhentheyhadbeenemployed.Theyadded:

Itisaprocessthatrequiresgoodrecordkeepingandnervesofsteel.

Anotherpersonhadtoacceptpre-settledstatusas,duetoa“difficultdivorce”,theynolongerhadthenecessaryevidencetoprovetheir30yearsresidence.

OtherrespondentsfocusedontheGovernment’sapparentinabilitytotraceextantinformation–suchasNationalInsurancedataorprofessionalrecords–thatshouldhavebeeneasilyaccessibletotheGovernmentandwouldnegatetheneedtoprovideanyfurtherevidence.

Herearesomeoftheirresponses:

Theyhadnorecordsofthelast5years.IworkandpaytaxesandNIN[NationalInsurance].

IhavelivedintheUKfor12years,haveafullNIrecordandHMrevenuerecord,bothaccessibleonline,anddespitethathadtosendthesupportingdocumentsmyself.Annoyingtosaytheleast.

Providingmyinsurancenumberwasnotenough.Whichwasasurprise.Theycouldn'tfindme.IprovidedmycompanyHMRCnumberanddoc.

InthesesituationstheonusfallsbackontheapplicanttoprovethattheywereresidentintheUKforthetimeperiodsinquestion.Thiscanbringwithitfinancialcosts(e.g.gatheringofficialdocuments),timepressuresandstress,oreventhepossibilitythatapersoneligibleforsettledstatusmayhaveto‘settle’forpre-settledstatusiftheycannotaccesstherequireddocuments.

2. Identity

Severalrespondentssaidtheyhadfacedproblemstryingtoprovetheiridentity,throughnofaultoftheirown.

Twowomenwhohadchangedtheirsurnamewhentheygotmarriedexplainedthatthishadcausedunexpectedcomplications.Forone,thisledtoarequestforadditionalevidence:

MyDutchpassportisinmymaidennamesoitdidn'ttieinwithmyNInumbersoitaskedmefor7yearsproof.

Theotherfacedafrustratingprocesstocorrectamistakerelatingtoherchangedname:

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Iappliedundermymarriednameandtheoutcomewascorrectlymadeinmymarriedname.YetwhenIloggedbackininApril,mynamehadchangedtomymaidenname.Calledtheresolutioncentreseveraltimesandstillnotfixed.

Anamechangeduetomarriageisaveryfrequentoccurrenceanditisconcerningthatthisisapparentlycausingdelays,mistakesanddemandsforfurtherevidenceinsomecases.

Twotransgenderrespondentstoldustheywerefacingsimilarproblemsprovingtheiridentity.Onepersonwrote:

ThemoredetailedreasonforthecomplicationisthatIamatransgenderpersonfromPoland.MynameinthepassportisdifferentfromthenameIuseatworkoranywhereelseintheUK.TheSS[SettlementScheme]applicationformdoesnotaccommodatesuchcircumstances.

Anothertransgenderrespondentwrote:

AsatranspersonIamfacingextracomplicationsforapplyinganditistakingalongtimetofigureouthowtodoitproperly.Ihaveformallychanged[my]nameintheUKincludingallmyofficialdocumentssuchasDriver’sLicence,bank,etc.However,mypassportfrommycountryoforiginhasadifferentnamewhichIamunabletochangewithoutaletterfromaGenderSpecialistdeclaringthatIamindeedtrans.TogetthisletterIwillneedtowaitanother2years(currentwaitingtimeforGenderIdentityClinicsisaround4years)andhaveproofofformalnamechangeinthiscountry.I’mcurrentlystuckinthisloopandscaredaboutapplyingincasetheywillrejectmyapplication.Idonottrustthatpeoplegoingthroughmyapplicationwillbeeducatedenoughontransissuesnottouseitagainstmycase.

Transpeoplemakeupanestimated1%oftheUKpopulation.Upwardsof35,000peopleeligibletoapplytotheSettlementSchemecouldthereforebetransandfacingsimilarproblems.Theconcernsraisedbytherespondentsabove–thattheapplicationformdoesnotallowforthesecircumstancesandthatthoseassessingtheapplicationmaynotbeadequatelyeducated–areparticularlytroubling.

3. Unclear information and lack of response

SeveralrespondentswroteaboutalackofclarityintheHomeOfficeguidanceand/ortheapplicationprocess.Inonecase,thisledtotheapplicantgivinguponpursuingthecorrectoutcome:

Itwasn'tclearwhatwasneededsoIacceptedpre-settledstatus[…]Ifeltobligedtoacceptpre-settled.

OtherssaidthatithadbeenverydifficulttocontacttheHomeOfficeregardingtheirapplication,orthattheyhadn’treceivedemailsorinformationthattheyshouldhave:

IhaveappliedforthesettledstatusinNovember2018viapilotschemefortheNHSstaff.Ihaven’theardanythingfromtheHomeOfficesince,inspiteofseveralphonecallsforanupdate.

[Iwastold]thattheHomeOfficewillcontactmefirsttoconfirmmyemail/phonenumber,andafterI’llhaveanemailaskingmetocontinuetheregistrationprocess.Ineverhadthatsecondemail.

Contactwiththeresolutioncentrewasafarce.FirsttimeIcalledIwasadvisedtotryagaininaweek.Calledbackafteraweekandgotthroughtosomeonewhopasseditontothetechteam.AweeklaterIgotaconfirmationthattheissuehadnowbeenpassedon.AnotherweeklaterIhadavoicemailaskingtocallthecentre.Idid,butnotfrommymobilephoneandwastoldtheladywas

27

unabletoseethecommunicationrecordasIwascallingfromadifferentnumber.Sohungupandcalledbackfrommobilephoneonlytobeaskedwhatthevoicemailsaidthatwasleftforme.Personsaidtheywouldlookintotheissueandcallback.ThreeweekslaterIamstillwaitingforthatcall.

4. Technical issues

(i) Compatibility

ThefactthattheappreleasedbytheGovernmentforsmartphonesonlyworkedonAndroidsystemsatthetimeofthesurveycreatedfrustrationsformanyrespondents.Inmostcases,thiscouldberesolvedbyusingsomeoneelse’sphone.Inotherinstances,applicantsdecidedtosendtheirpassporttobescannedmanually.Threerespondentssaidtheyhadtobuyanewphoneinordertoapply,thusincurringasignificantcostinaprocessthatissupposedlyfreeofcharge.

SomerespondentstoldustheyhadfacedproblemsevenwhenusinganAndroiddevicethatwassupposedlycompatible.OnepersonsaidtheytriedtoapplyusingtwodifferentAndroiddevices:

First,IusedanolderphoneGalaxyNote4andthescanningofthepasswordneverworked.Ieventriedmycolleagues(sic)phonewhichwasanewerHTCIthinkwhichalsodidn’tworkatall.IgaveuponthisthenuntilIboughtmyselfaNokiaforarelativelylowpriceof£130onlyforthepurposeofdoingmyownandmyfamily’ssettledschemeapplications.

AnotherpersonsaidtheyhadtogotoascanningcentreastheydidnothaveanAndroidphoneandwascharged£14fortheservice.Thisseemstobeinconflictwiththeapplicationsystem,whichis(now)supposedtobefreeofcharge.

Severalofthosewhodidnothaveaccesstoacompatibledeviceexpressedtheirfrustration:

AsIdon’thaveanAndroidphoneIhadtomakeanappointmentwiththecounciltogetmyIDscanned.Thatmadetheprocessmoredifficultandtimeconsuming.

Thewholeprocesswascumbersome.

(ii) The interface

Inseveralcases,respondentssaidthattheapphadnotworkedproperly,evenwhentheywereusingthecorrectdevice.Somepeoplehadtoscantheirpassportseveraltimes,astheappcouldnotreadthedataproperly.Inonecase,theappcommunicatedtotheuserthatthepassportscanhadbeenaccepted,butafewdayslaterthepersonreceivedanemailrequestingthemtoscantheirpassport.

Otherswereforcedtogiveupandsendtheirpassporttobescannedmanually.Onerespondentwrote:

Appwouldn’tscanpassport,usedtwodifferentphonestotry.ThengotamessagethroughappthatIonlyhadacoupleoftriesleftbeforebeinglockedforaweek.Hadtosendinmypassportintheendtomakeitwork.

Anothersaid:

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Firstattemptcrashed.Receivedweeklyemails/textmessagesbetweenMarchandAugusttoconfirmthatIwasexperiencingtechnicalissues.FinallylastweekamessagethatIshouldtryandcontinuemyapplication.

Andathird:

Myphonecouldn'treadthechip,nomatterwhichwayItriedtopositionthepassport.Iwasnervousabouttryingtoomanytimes,asIheardyoucouldgetlockedout.Iendedupborrowingsomeoneelse'sphone,whichwasveryuncomfortable,andfeltlikeabreachofmyprivacy.Thismadetheprocessverystressful.

(iii) Confirmation not received

Somerespondentsclaimednottohavereceivedaconfirmationemailaftercompletingtheapplicationprocess:

Ineverreceivedtheconfirmationemailaftersubmittingtheinfoanddespitealongcallwiththehelplinethreeweekslatertheissuehasn'tbeenresolved-theykeeptextingmeweeklysayingtheywillgetintouchoncethishasbeenresolved.

Iwasn'tsentaconfirmationemailandhavehadtocallthehelplinetogetsupport.

5. Policy concerns

(i) Data handling

SeveralindividualsexpresseddissatisfactionwiththeHomeOfficepolicyregardingtheuseofanydataprovidedduringtheapplicationprocess.Whenapplyingtothescheme,applicantsaretold:"WemayalsoshareyourinformationwithotherpublicandprivatesectororganisationsintheUKandoverseas."Nodetailsaregivenaboutthesethirdpartiesandapplicantsareunabletocompletetheapplicationiftheydonotagreetohavetheirdatausedinthisway.

Respondentssaid:

IamreallyangryabouttheHOrefusaltodisclosewhotheysharetheverysensitivedatawith.

Iamveryconcernedabouttheprivacyofmydataandtheabsenceofknowledgeregardingwithwhomandwithwhichorganisationsthesedataaregoingtobeshared,storedandprotected.

Privacypolicy:"WemayalsoshareyourinformationwithotherpublicandprivatesectororganisationsintheUKandoverseas."NO,NO,NO!

(ii) Lack of physical proof

Severalrespondentsalsoexpressedfrustrationatthepolicythatmeansrecipientsofsettledorpre-settledstatusdonotreceivephysicalproof(intheformofanIDcard,letterorotherwise)ofthatstatus.

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Respondingtothequestion,‘Howdidyoufeelaftergettingadecision?’onepersonwrote:

NotcompletelyrelievedasthereisnophysicalproofofmystatusifIhaveaproblemattheborderforexample.

Otherswrote:

VeryhappytohavemystatusconfirmedbutIwouldhavebeenevenhappieriftherewassomekindofphysicaldocumenttoprovemystatus.

Nophysicalevidenceistheworst-disasterwaitingtohappen.

(iii) Application not registration

Anumberofrespondentsweredeeplycriticalofaschemethatrequirespeopletoapply(whichcarriesthepossibilityofbeingrefused),ratherthansimplyregister:

Makingpeople'apply'tostayintheirhomesisterrible.

IhavelivedlegallyinU.K.FOR45yearsandshouldnothavetogothroughanapplicationprocesswhichcanresultinrefusal.Itshouldbeasimpleregistration.

IamawarethatIhavetoapplybutIhaven’tdonesoyet.Ifeelagainstapplyingasaprinciple,becauseIbelieve–andhavebeencampaigningfor–aschemewhereyouhavetoregisterratherthanapply.

6. Waiting time

DespitetheHomeOfficeclaimingthatapplicationsareusuallyprocessedwithinfiveworkingdays,asignificantnumberofrespondentsreportedmuchlongerwaitingtimes.Oneinfourrespondentssaidtheyhadtowaitbetweenoneweekandonemonth,with8%waitinguptothreemonths.

Someresponses:

IappliedsinceFebruaryandstillwaiting,Irangthemalready3timesandmycaseisonhold,sostressfultowaitsolongwhereasothersalreadyreceivedwithinadayortwomaximum.[respondedtosurveyon3July]

Ifeelsomuchdepressedas[it’s]takingtoolongtogetdecided,it’sbeen3monthsandIkeepcheckingemailsallthetime.

Othersfacedlongwaitingtimesafterchallengingtheinitialdecision:

GotpresettledstatusfirstwhichIquestionedasIhavebeenintheUKfornearly40years.OneofthelettersfrommyworkplacestatedIhavebeenworkingforthem20years.After3monthsofwaitingIgotanemailtodaysayingIhavesettledstatus.

Manyofthosewhohadbeenwaitingweeksorevenmonthsforadecisionwerenon-EEAnationalswhoarefamilymembersofEEAnationals.Theparticularissuestheyfacedwillbedealtwithinthenextsection.

30

Non-EEA nationals

Ofthe229validresponses,14wereidentifiablyfromnon-EEAnationalswhoclaimthattheyareeligibletoapplytotheSettlementSchemeduetobeingthedependentsofEEAnationalsintheUK.

Ofthose14people,threehadbeengrantedsettledstatus,twohadpre-settledstatus,onehadnotappliedandeightwerestillwaitingforadecision.

SeveralsaidtheyhadreceivedwrongormisleadinginformationfromtheHomeOfficeandtherehadbeendiscrepanciesbetweenofficialguidelinesandadviceprovidedviathephoneline.Otherssaidtheyfaceddifficultiesprovidingadditionalevidencethatmustbescannedanduploadedatcentreswhereappointmentsareextremelyhardtocomebyandusuallycomewithacost.

Case 1

OnerespondentfromNigeriasaidtheyhadbeenwaitingformorethanthreemonthsforaresponsetotheapplication.

Iappliedonthe1stofApril,suppliedmydocumentsandgotCOAon15thofAprilbutupuntiltodaytheyhaven'tdecidedonmyapplication.WhenIcalltheysaythattheyaredoingeligibilitycheckandstuff.[respondedtosurveyon7July]

WhiletheHomeOfficewebsiteatthetimeindicatedamaximumwaitingtimeoffourdays,therespondentwastoldwhentheycontactedtheResolutionCentrethatadecisioncouldtakeuptosixmonths.

Askedhowtheapplicationprocessmadethemfeel,therespondentanswered:

Committingsuicide

Case 2

Asecondrespondent,fromZimbabwe,alsosaidtheyhadbeenwaitingforaresponseformorethanthreemonths.TherespondentclaimedthattheHomeOfficeisincorrecttosaythatsomeonecanapplyusingtheirBiometricResidencePermit(BRP):

TurnsoutthisisnotthecaseandaddingBRPinformationtoyourapplicationresultsinyouwaitingforaresponseinperpetuity.

Therespondentgoesontoclaimthatthereisalackofguidanceforpeopleintheirsituation:

BRPguidancenotavailableeventhoughinitiallyclaimedyoucouldapplywiththisdocument.IappliedwithpassportandBRPandapparentlythisiswhathasresultedinmenotgettingaresponseorcertificateofapplicationatall.

Theydescribetheprocessasfrustrating:

Notknowingwhymyapplicationisnotbeingprocessedlikethereissomesegregationofsomesort.It’sonethingtohavetoprovidemoreevidencewhichIcouldbuttonotreceivecommunicationisfrustrating.

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Other

Othersalsocomplainedaboutthelackofcoherentguidancefornon-EEAapplicants.Onepersonwrote:

Ihavereceivedemailstobookappointmentforbiometric,butwhenwetriedtobook,Iwasn'tinsystem,soIcalledbacktooffice,wheretheysaidIdon’tneedtoprovidebiometric,onlytosendpassport.Veryconfusing,withtoomanycallstobesortedout.

AcitizenofIceland(whichisintheEEAbutnottheEU)whorespondedtooursurveyfacedasimilarproblem:

IamanIcelandicnationalandthereforepartoftheEEAbutnottheEU.Thesystemdidn'tseemtohavemysituationtakenintoaccountaswhenIfinishedmyapplication,theconfirmationemailstatedthatIneededtosubmitbiometricstocompletetheapplication,whereasthewebsitesaidtheapplicationhadbeensent.Itwasconfusing,thoughitwasclearedupbycallingthehelplinewhereourswasconfirmedthatnobiometricswerenecessary.

AccordingtothelatestHomeOfficeguidanceontheSettlementScheme,non-EEAcitizensapplyingfromwithintheUK“withoutaspecifiedrelevantdocument”arerequiredtoprovidefingerprints(thesecondformofbiometricsafterthedigitalphotographoftheapplicant’sface),“unlessthepublishedguidanceinforceatthedateofapplicationstatesthattheyarenotrequiredtoprovidethese”.7Thisfailstoclarifyinwhichcasesfingerprintsarerequired–anditisclearfromthequotesabovethatthereisaworryingamountofconfusionamongbothapplicantsandHomeOfficesystemsregardingthis.

7‘EUSettlementScheme:EU,otherEEAandSwisscitizensandtheirfamilymembers’,Version3.0,HomeOffice,8November2019,p.18.

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How did it make you feel?

Whilethemajorityofourrespondentsfoundtheprocessofapplyingfairlyeasy,thisdoesnotmeantheyallhadpositivefeelingsonhavingtoapplyandcompletingtheprocess.

Negativeemotionswereevenmorecommonamongthosewhofacedproblemsanddelaysalongtheway.Manyrespondentswerefrustratedorevenoutraged,otherssaidtheprocessmadethemfeelunwelcomeorlikesecond-classcitizens.

ThemostdisappointedindividualsweretheoneswhohavespentmostoftheirlifeintheUK.DespiteregularreassurancesfromtheGovernmentsince2016thattheyarewelcometostayandtheirrightswillbeprotected,itisclearfromtheresponsesthatmanyEEAnationalsandtheirdependentsdonotfeelreassuredorwelcomed:

Upsetandangry–IhavelivedlegallyinU.K.FOR45yearsandshouldnothavetogothroughanapplicationprocesswhichcanresultinrefusal.Itshouldbeasimpleregistration.

TheUKhasbeenmyhomeforalongtime[…]ThefactthatIwillnowbelimitedintheamountoftimeIcanspendoutofthecountryI'velivedinsinceachildwithoutlosingmystatusisthebiggestkickintheteeth,though.

Heartbroken,unwantedafterspendinghalfofmylifeinthiscountry.ThewholeBrexitthingislikegoingthroughallstagesofgriefoverandoveragain.Andmoreandmoresleeplessnights.

Absolutelyawful.Wordscannotdescribe.Havinglivedherefor22yearsInowfeeldisliked,marginalizedandunwanted.Idon'twanttostaywhereIamofficiallynotwantedandaskedtobegtostay,forcedtorelyonthewhimsandbeliefsofwhomeverwillmakeadecisiononmycase.

IfeelveryupsetthatIhavetoapplyafterhavinglivedandworkedhereforover20years[…]IamveryupsetthatIhavetoapplyformy2childrenwhowerebornhere[…]IamscaredandworriedthatitwillnotbestraightforwardandthatImayhavetofindmoreinformation.IamscaredandworriedthatIcannotputmyselfthroughthisstress,thatIwon'tcopewiththeuncertainty.Idon'tknowif[I]wanttostayinacountrythatmakesmefeellikethis.

Severalrespondentssuggestedtheprocesshadleftthemfeelingvulnerable:

Youareinthehandsofsomeoneelse,whohasthepowertoremoveyoufromtheUK.

Othershadthefeelingtheywerebeingtreatedlikecriminals:

Ifeltunwanted,treatedlikeanoutlaw,orsomeonewhoneedstoberegisteredinPolice'sarchives.

Stress and anxiety

Acommonthemeintheresponsestothequestionsregardingfeelingsaroundapplyingwasstressandanxiety.Tenpercentofrespondentssaidtheyfeltstressedandasimilarproportionmentionedfeelinganxious.Sixpeoplesaidtheyfeltdepressedatvariouspointsintheprocess.

Respondingtothequestion‘Howdiditmakeyoufeeltohavetoapply’,onepersonsaid:

Terrible.Ifeltnotwanted,unwelcome.TheideaofmaybebeingdeniedSettledStatuscausedmassiveanxietyandstress.Itaffectedmyhealth.

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Respondingtothesamequestion,otherssaidtheyfelt:

DemoralisedanddepresseddespitethewarmwordsoftheHomeSecretary(invariousemailnewslettersaroundthetimeofthelaunch).

Anxious,depressed,closetonervousbreakdown,affectedspousebadlyaswell.

Angry,indignant,disappointed,unwelcome,dejected,stressed.

Forsome,thestressdidnotdisappearaftertheyreceivedsettledorpre-settledstatus,astheydonotseethisstatusasaguaranteeoftheirrightsandtheyarestillconcernedaboutwhatlifeintheUKwillholdfortheminthefuture.Afeelingofinsecuritywasaprominenttheme,withseveralpeopleconcernedthattheirnewstatusdidnotcomewithphysicalproof.

Relief

Anindicatorofthelevelofstressoranxietyexperiencedbymanyisreflectedinthemostfrequentresponsetothequestion,‘Howdidyoufeelaftergettingaresponse?’Fiftypeoplementionedfeeling“relief”orbeing“relieved”.

However,formany,thisreliefwasmixedwithotheremotions,suchassadness,frustrationandbitterness.Respondentssaidtheyfelt:

Mixedfeelings.Reliefthatsomethingwassortedbutsadthatitwasneededinthefirstplace.Stilldon'tfeelthatmypositionissecure.

Relieved,butalsoanoutsider.Thatwearedifferent.We’reanathemanow.

Partlyrelieved,butalsohumiliated,angry,thenapathetic,emptyanduncertainofmyfutureintheUK.

Relieved,thoughuneasyasmynameisonalisttobeusedwhen?

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People who had not applied

One-thirdofthepeoplewhorespondedtothesurveysaidtheyhadnot(yet)appliedtotheSettlementScheme.Fifty-sevenofthemprovidedfurtherinformationaboutthatdecision.

Themostcommonreasonswereconcernsaboutdatasharing,uncertainty(aboutwhetherBrexitwillhappen,whatitwillmeanforfreemovement,andwhatsettledstatuswillmeanfortheirrightslongterm),worriesabouttheirabilitytoproveresidence,andoutragethattheyarebeingaskedtoapplyatall.Somerespondentswerealsoconcernedthatmentalorphysicalillnessoradisabilitycouldmaketheprocessofapplyingdifficultoraffecttheoutcome.Eachofthesewillnowbeexploredmoreclosely.

1. Concerns about the process or outcome

Manyapplicantshadsignificantfearsthattheremightbecomplicationsintheapplicationprocess,thatfurtherevidencewillbedifficultorimpossibletogather,orthattheapplicationmightberejectedwerethedrivingforcebehindsomerespondents’decisionnottoapply.Theseconcernsstemmedfromthefundamentalnatureoftheschemeasanapplicationratherthanaregistrationprocess,whichallowsforthepossibilityofapplicationsbeingrefused.Someresponses:

Assomeonewithlong-termillness,unabletoworkandonbenefits,Ifearthatmyapplicationwillberejectedonthatbasisandallrightsrevokedasaresult.It'sadauntingprospectasamentallydisabledpersonandI'mdesperatelytryingtoreturntomycountryoforigininordertoavoidit.Idon'treallystandachanceifIgobackasIdon'thaveaplacetoliveortheabilitytoworkbutIcan'ttaketheprospectofrejectionandbeingforcedtoleaveunderthreatofarrest.Ihavelosteverythinginahousefireanddon’thaveapassportnomore.Idon’thaveanything!IamdreadingthattheywillneedsomestuffIdon’thave.Iamworriedthatforwhateverreason,mystatuswillnotbeconfirmed.I*should*qualify,butwhatifnot?!IamalsonotsurewhethertheevidenceIhavewillbeokay,althoughIhavelivedandpaidtaxesinthiscountryforover15yearsnow.

2. Data sharing

Manyrespondentssaidtheyhadnotappliedduetoconcernsabouthowtheirdatawouldbeused(concernssharedbymanyofthosewhohadapplied,asexploredabove).

Someresponsestothequestion‘Ifyouhaven’tappliedyet,why?’includethefollowing:

I’mnotdoinganythingbeforeIgetmoreinformationonhowmydataisused.

Iamnotkeentosharemydatawiththegovernment[…]IwillapplywhenIhaveto.

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3. Uncertainty

SeveralrespondentsreferredtotheuncertaintyaroundBrexit–whichatthetimeofthesurveyhadalreadybeenpostponedtwice–toexplainwhytheyhadnotapplied.Otherssaidtheywerewaitingtoseeiftheschemewouldbeimprovedoriftherightsconferredbysettledstatuswouldbecementedinprimarylegislation,ratherthanonlyinsecondarylegislation(whichcaneasilybechanged)orgovernmentpolicydocuments(whichcarrylittleweight),asisthecurrentsituation.Concernaboutthelackofphysicalproofwasalsogivenasareasonbyseveralrespondents.

Theoutcomeoftheapplicationisprettymuchirrelevantasthereisnolegalorothersafeguardingofmyrightsbygettingsettledstatus.Thegovernmentcansimplyabolishitatanypointwithoutscrutinyorconsequence.

I’mstillhopingitwon’tbenecessaryifBrexitdoesn’thappen.

Theycancelledthe£60feeaftercriticism.Theymayalsocancel/changethewholeprocess.There’sstilltimeuntilthedeadline.Sowhygothroughthehassleprematurely?

I'mholdingbackapplyinguntilthelastminute.

4. Principled decision

Inanumberofcases,respondentsexplainedthattheydisagreedwiththeschemeandhadnotorwouldnotapplyonprinciple.Frustrationsrangedfromthescheme’srequirementthatpeoplemustapplyratherthansimplyregistertoangerthatEEAnationalsandtheirfamiliesarebeingforcedtoapplytoaschemejusttobeallowedtostayintheirhomesandmaintaintheirexistingrights.

Itisaninsulttoapplytostayinmyhomeofthelast20years.

Ireallywantthegovernmenttochangegeartowardswhatpromised(sic)inthefirstplace:automaticrighttostay.

I’mopposedto“applying”formyexistingrightstoliveandworkintheUK.IalreadyholdPRwhichinvolvedaprocessthatwasextremelystressfulanddrawnoutandrequiredprovidinganexcessiveamountofinformationandevidence[…]Idonotwishtogothroughthisagain[…]HappytoregisterinlinewithotherEUcountriesshouldthesystemchange.

IknowIshouldapplybutcan’tbringmyselftodoit.I’mfurious,Ihavebeenherefor24years,havepaidmytaxesforallthoseyears,havethreechildrenwhowereallbornhere.Thisismyhome!WhydoIneedtoapplytostayinmyownhome?Istillhavehopeitmightallnotgoahead,Iguessthat’spartlywhyI’mwaiting[…]Thewholethingmakesmybloodboil.

Ibelieve/hopethatIwillpersonallynothaveaverydifficulttimeinapplyingasmysituationshouldmakeitstraightforward,butIwanttocontinuetoraisetheseissuesthataffectseveryone.Itfeelsstrangetoapplyknowingitissomethingyouareagainstandsomethingwhichmanyotherswillstrugglewithintheapplicationphase.

SeveralsaidtheywereplanningtoorconsideringleavingtheUKasaresult:

I'mdeeplyashamedabouthavingtoapply.It'sdemeaning,andittakesawaywhatlittledignitypeoplealreadyforcedtoemigratefromtheirowncountryforwhateverreasonhadtostartwith[…]IcouldapplyforaBritishpassport,butIdon'twantto"begBritish"anyfurtherandriskfurther

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rejection.IloveLondonmorethananyothercityintheworldandIamdeeplysaddenedbyhavingtoleave,butit'sforthebest.

ThelastthreeyearshavebeenverystressfulreBrexitandmyhomenotbeingmyhomeanymore[…]AstheBrexitvotehasthoroughlyshakenupmyplansforthefutureIamreluctanttogetsettledstatusatpresent.Mightleaveforgoodbeforethedeadline.

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Informationfromotherorganisations

Asmentionedearlier,weencouragedrepresentativesoforganisationsworkingwithEEAnationalsand/ortheirdependentstocompletethesurveyonbehalfofindividualstheywereworkingwith,butalsotocontactusseparatelyaboutissuestheirmembersorclientswerefacing.Severalorganisationsdidso–andtheissuestheyraisedweredeeplyconcerning.Someechoedmanyoftheresponsesinoursurvey,butsignificantnewissueswerealsohighlighted,includingproblemswiththeapp’sfacialrecognitionsoftwareandalackofsupportforRomacommunitiesandforthosewholackEnglishskills.Theseareexploredinmoredetailbelow.

InformationwasreceivedfromCrisisSkylightMerseyside,abranchofthenationalhomelesscharityinLiverpool;theRomaSupportGroup;ASIRT,anadvocacyorganisationforasylumseekersandundocumentedmigrantsintheWestMidlands;andasecondcharityinLiverpool.8

Identity documents and proof of residency

ThecharityinLiverpoolsharedconcernsthatsomeofitsserviceusershadstruggledtofinddocumentstoprovetheirresidency.CrisisSkylightMerseyside–whichisworkingwithalocallawclinictoofferadviceandsupporttopeopleapplyingforsettledstatus–saidthatinmultiplecases,applicantshavehadtoprovidefurtherevidenceforyearswhenthepersonwasworkingorreceivedbenefits,informationthatshouldbeeasilyaccessibletotheHomeOffice.Theonusisthenontheperson,withoursupport,tocollatetherequiredevidencewhichrequiresresourcesandistimeconsuming.

BoththeseorganisationsnotedthatmostoftheirserviceusersdonothaveapassportorvalidIDcard,makingitimpossibletocompletetheinitialidentitycheckintheapplicationprocess.ThosewhohaveanIDcardbutnotavalidpassportarerequiredtosendtheircardthroughthepost,leavingthemwithoutanyIDforanunknownlengthoftime.ForsomeEEAnationals,theonlysolutionistoapplyforapassporttomakesuretheyarenotleftwithoutanIDdocument.Thiscancostaround£100andapplicantsthereforeincurasignificantcostdespitetheschemebeingsupposedlyfreeofcharge.Thisalsodelaystheapplicationforuptosixmonths.

TheRomaSupportGroupalsosaidthatmanyofthoseitworkswithdonothaveapassportorvalidIDandfacesimilarproblems.

Lack of support

SeveraloftheorganisationsraisedconcernsaboutthelackofsupportforsomegroupsofEEAnationalswhofacebarrierstoapplying.CrisisSkylightMerseysideisconcernedthatinformationaboutapplyingisnoteasilyavailabletohomelessEEAnationalswithlimitedEnglishand/orITskills.

TheRomaSupportGrouptoldusitwasreceivingcallsfrompeopleacrossthecountry–fromLeedstoBirminghamtoIpswich–whowereaskingforsupport.TheGroupsaid:

WhatwerealisedisthatevenifthereisalocalEUSSsupport9therearenotenougheffortstoengagetheRoma.ApartfromthatmanyprojectsarenowputtingpressureonanyRoma

8Thischarityagreedtotheinformationtheyprovidedbeingusedbutdidnotwishtobenamed.

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professionalsworkingindifferentlocationsintheirattempttoreachouttothecommunity.ManyRomaprofessionalsfindthatdifficulttohandleastheyarehavingtheirownjobsandmanyareaskingfortheirsupportwithoutresourcingthem.

TheRomaSupportGroupsaidithadadvisedorganisationsprovidingsupporttoincludeRomaadvocatesintheirteams,butmanydidnottakethisadviceandarenowfindingitdifficulttoengagetheRomacommunity,eventhoughthecommunityislookingforsupport.

TheRomaSupportGroupalsosaidthatthereareareas,suchasSouthend,wherethereisasignificantRomapopulationbutnofundedsupport.EquallytherearelocalRomasupportgroupsthatdonothaveafundedsupportprogrammebutfacehugedemandfromlocalcommunities.

“WebelievemanyofthesmallRomagroupshavethesamestruggle,”theRomaSupportGroupsaid.

AfurtherconcernraisedbytheGroupisthatonlylimitedsupporthasbeenmadeavailableforBigIssuevendors.IncitiessuchasBirmingham,about75%ofvendorsareRoma,andinLondonaround40-50%,accordingtothegroup.

“Manyofthosevendors,notjusttheRoma,arevulnerable,”theRomaSupportGrouptoldus.

TheRomaSupportGrouphasprovidedsomesupportfacilitatingdialoguebetweensupportagenciesandtheBigIssueinLondon,BirminghamandBristolbutcommunicationisstillaproblem.

ThecharityinLiverpoolwasconcernedaboutthelackofsupportforapplicantswholackEnglishlanguageskills,bothatthedocumentscanningcentresandmoregenerally.Theynotedthatsomeunscrupulouspeoplearechargingapplicantsbetween£350and£1,000tofillintheirformandthatthosewithpoorEnglishareparticularlyvulnerabletothis.

Theorganisationalsoraisedaconcernaboutthelackofdocumentscanningcentresandthedistancessomeapplicantsarerequiredtotraveltoaccessthem.ThosewhopostanydocumentsarerecommendedbytheHomeOfficetosendthembyrecordeddelivery.Eitherofthesecircumstancescanleadtosignificantcostforindividualswithlittledisposableincome.

AccordingtoASIRT,childrenandadultsincarerepresentanotherpotentiallyvulnerablegroupwhoarenotreceivingadequatesupport.ASIRTtoldusthatthereisnodataonhowmanyEEAchildrenareincareintheUKanditisthereforedifficulttoidentifywhoiseligibleandtotargetsupport.TheGreaterManchesterImmigrationAidUnitraisedsimilarconcernsinareportpublishedinNovember2019,warningthatmostchildrenincarewillnothavethenecessaryevidencetoprovetheirnationalityandUKresidence.10

Uncertainty about outcome

ThecharityinLiverpoolsaidithadexperiencedcaseswhereapplicantshavebeenintheUKfor10years,butonlyworkingforsevenofthose,andhavebeengrantedpre-settledinsteadofsettledstatus.Thisisconcerningassettledstatusshouldnotbeconditionalontheapplicanthavingbeeninemployment.Itmaybethecasethatitwasalackofevidenceofresidencyduringtheperiodsofunemploymentthatmeanttheapplicantwasgrantedonlypre-settledstatus–butsuchcasesarelikelytoworryindividualseligibleforsettledstatuswhohaveyettoapply.

9Accordingtothegovernmentwebsite,57organisationsacrosstheUKhavereceivedfundingfromtheHomeOfficetoprovidehelpandinformationtovulnerableEEAnationalsapplyingtotheSettlementScheme.10‘Notsostraightforward’,GreaterManchesterImmigrationAidUnit,8November2019.

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Criminalrecordchecksareaconcernformanyapplicants,accordingtothecharityinLiverpool,whichadvocatesthatprofessionaladvisorsshouldassistwiththeprocessincaseswherethisisrelevant.

TheRomaSupportGroupisconcernedthatEUnationalswhowereremovedfromtheUKpriortoDecember2017forthe“crime”ofsleepingrough,andreturnedafterthepolicywasruledunlawful,couldfaceproblemswhenapplyingforsettledorpre-settledstatusduetothatcriminalrecord.

Thereiswidespreadworrythatapplicantswithcomplexcasesarefacinglongdelaysandinadequatedecisions.ThisisthecasewithoneofASIRT’sclients,anon-EEAnationalwhowasformerlymarriedtoanEUnational.Despitebeingeligibleforsettledstatus,shehasbeenaskedtoprovideadditionalevidenceseveraltimes–evidencethattheGovernmentalreadyholds–andphonecallsadvisingthatsheisnoteligibleforsettledstatus.Shewasstillwaitingforadecisiontwomonthsonfromtheinitialapplication.Shesaid:

Ihavereceivednumerousrequestsforfurtherinformation,aswellasearlymorningtelephonecallsfromtheHomeOffice,givingmeconflictingandconfusingadviceaboutmyrights,whichIhavefoundstressful.

TheRomaSupportGroupisintouchwithprojectsacrosstheUKsupportingRomaapplicants.BroadlytheschemeseemstobeworkingwellandtheGroupisnotawareofanyrefusals.However,researchconductedbytheGroupin2018-19foundthatthereissignificantconcernamonghomelessRomapopulationsthatbyapplyingtotheschemetheywillbeincreasingthechancesthattheGovernmentwilldeportthem.Manythereforeavoidapplying.

Technical issues

CrisisSkylightMerseysidereportedanumberoftechnicalissuesthatmembershavefaced,includingproblemswithscanningthepassportchiportheappcrashingpartwaythroughtheprocess.

Theorganisationalsonotedsomeproblemswiththefacialscantechnology.OneCrisismemberwithafacialdisabilitywasunabletouploadhisimageasthesystemsaidthathiseyeswereclosedwhenthiswasnotthecase.Crisiswaseventuallyabletogethisfacialscanaccepted,butitwasanundignifiedprocessandonethatdoesnotpromoteinclusivity.Abarristerassistingtheorganisationhasreportedsimilarproblemswiththescanforsomeethnicminorityapplicants.

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Appendix:Thesurveyquestions

1. Areyoufillingthissurveyasanindividual?Yes/No

2. IfYes,areyouanEEAnationaloradependantofone?Yes/No

3. Areyoufillingthissurveyasanorganisation?

Yes/No

4. Haveyouappliedforsettledstatus?Yes/No

5. Ifyes,whatwastheoutcome?Igotsettledstatus/Igotpre-settledstatus/Igotneitheroftheabove/Ihaven’treceivedthefinalresponseyetPleaseexplain:_____________________________________

6. Howwastheapplicationprocess?Easy/Slightlydifficult/Moderatelydifficult/VerydifficultPleaseexplain:_____________________________________

7. Wereyouaskedtoprovideadditionalevidence?Yes/No

Pleaseexplain:_____________________________________

8. Wereyouabletouseyourphonetoverifyyouridentity(scanyourpassport)?Yes/No

Pleaseexplain:_____________________________________

9. Howlongdidittaketogetadecision?

__________________________________

10. Didyougetadifferentdecisionfromwhatyouexpected(e.g.pre-settledstatusinsteadofsettled)?Yes/NoPleaseexplain:_____________________________________

11. Werethereanycomplicationsinthewholeapplicationprocess?Yes/No

Pleaseexplain:_____________________________________

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12. Howdiditmakeyoufeeltohavetoapply?

__________________________________

13. Howdidtheapplicationprocessmakeyoufeel?__________________________________

14. Howdidyoufeelaftergettingadecision(ifyouhavehadone)?__________________________________

15. Ifyouhaven’tappliedyet,why?(Donotfillthisifyouhavealreadyapplied)

IamworriedImaynotgetapositivedecision/Iamstillgatheringinformationandevidence/Idon’tknowhowtoapply/Idon’twanttoapply/Iwanthelptoapply/Other

Pleaseexplain:_____________________________________

16. Maywecontactyouforanyfurtherclarification?Yes/NoIfYespleaseincludeyouremailandtelephonenumber:__________________________

17. Pleaseenteryourcountryoforigin(optional)

_____________________________________

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