Since Brexit, EU citizens need a visa to live or work in the UK. Those who lived in the country before the end of 2020 can still apply until the end of June for the Settlement Scheme (EUSS), which guarantees them largely equal rights even after Brexit – such as living and Right to work and right to access health system.
“The risks to EU citizens who do not apply for EUSS by June 30 will be life-changing,” Gilruth said. “You can no longer work, study, claim benefits, drive a car or open a bank account. In short, their life would be turned upside down. Extending the deadline is a simple and practical way to avoid reprehensible consequences.
“We want you to be with us”
The Scottish government wants independence from the UK and a return to the European Union. The message to all EU citizens in Scotland is: “Scotland is your home, you are our family and we want you to be with us,” Gilruth said.
Who needs a Visa?
EU tourists can still come to Great Britain without a visa. But anyone who wants to live or work there now needs a visa.
According to the latest figures, 5.4 million people have applied for EUSS so far, including 268,500 in Scotland. Accordingly, 4.9 million applications were accepted across the country. Civil rights activists have warned of a huge backlog.
According to him, around 20,000 applications are processed every month. So waiting people may face problems during the transition period, for example when looking for an apartment or opening an account.
More than 3,000 EU citizens turned away
The situation for EU citizens who are still outside UK borders is often even more difficult. From January to March alone, British border guards repatriated a total of 3,294 EU citizens – six times more than in the first quarter of 2020. This is the result of figures from the Ministry of the Interior in London. Cases in which EU citizens detained for deportation at British airports or seaports were deported back to their homeland only after being detained for deportation.
The end of freedom of movement was the stated objective of Brexit, the British departure from the European Union, which took full effect on 1 January. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Interior Minister Priti Patel keep reiterating that Great Britain is now a sovereign country that can determine its own borders.
The number of evictions may increase
Recently there were reports that EU citizens who wanted to enter Germany as an au pair in search of a job or without a visa were detained for several days and then deported. The Interior Ministry instructed the border authorities to change this.
As the Guardian newspaper reported, most EU citizens have already been detained at EU ports or during British border controls at the Eurostar terminal in Paris. 738 people are said to have been expelled after arriving in Britain. If air traffic resumes, there should be a significant increase in numbers.