Hundreds of EU Nationals in Folkestone and Hythe in Brexit Legal Limbo
Hundreds of EU nationals living in Folkestone and Hythe have not been offered permanent residency in the UK, the latest official figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.
Candidate in the upcoming election for the Lib Dems, Simon Bishop, accused the government of leaving local families from the EU in "legal limbo" and throwing people's lives into desperate uncertainty.
Of the 1,470 EU nationals across Folkestone and Hythe who have applied for permanent residency, only 910, or 62 per cent, have been offered settled status. 270 have been granted pre-settled status, which only gives EU nationals a temporary right to stay in the UK.
Meanwhile, another 270 EU nationals living in Folkestone and Hythe have applied for permanent residency but are still waiting for a final decision to be made.
200 of the applications for settled status in Folkestone and Hythe were for children, i.e. those under 18.
Liberal Democrat candidate for Folkestone and Hythe, Simon Bishop, said:
"Too many EU nationals in Folkestone and Hythe are understandably deeply anxious about their right to stay in the UK if, and when, Brexit arrives. Many EU nationals fill vital roles in our health service and our schools. It's disgraceful for the Conservative government to leave them in legal limbo like this.
"Families and children must not be made to live under a cloud of uncertainty any longer. Aside from the financial costs, the stress and worry is something that will drive families, and especially children, to despair. These families have done nothing wrong and yet some of them feel like they have been treated almost like criminals just for wanting to earn a crust and help our NHS care for our sick.
"The Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit, protect the rights of EU citizens and build a brighter future for our country."
The latest figures on the EU settlement scheme including by local authority are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-september-2019
Sign up
for email updates
