Stunning new figures show UK leads the way on EU citizens’ rights after Brexit

Verhofstadt continues to attack the UK on the basis of no facts

Brexit Facts4EU.Org reveals the shocking truth on UK’s stellar performance on rights of EU27 citizens

On Thursday the UK Home Office released the latest figures on “The EU Settlement Scheme”, which makes it easy for EU citizens and their families to obtain a UK immigration status for when the UK leaves the EU.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The UK shows the EU the way on citizens' rights

UK acceptance rate is running at 99.3% of all applications processed
Already, over 2.4m applications have been processed and approved
This is three times the total number of UK citizens in EU27 countries
Official EU statistics show 3.9 million EU27 citizens living in the UK
The same statistics show fewer than 850,000 UK citizens living in EU27 countries

UK has a clear, free process – EU27 countries are all over the place

The British people have been on the end of a relentless barrage about “citizens’ rights” since the EU first - and arbitrarily - introduced this as one of their three priorities in the Brexit Withdrawal process. Indeed the EU refused to discuss other issues for more than a year until this was settled, despite the British Government offering to settle this issue back in late 2016.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org has previously published details of the EU’s official statistics on the numbers of EU citizens living in other EU countries, showing how “free movement” has benefited EU27 citizens four times as much as it has benefited UK citizens.

Conclusive evidence of the basic facts on the treatment of citizens after Brexit

The British system for processing settlement claims from EU27 nationals is working very efficiently, according to the latest figures from the Home Office released on Thursday. 99.3% of all applications which have been concluded have been approved, which represents 2.43m people so far. A further 306,000 applications are in the system, and this equates to the total number for November and December. Only six applications were refused, from those convicted and/or serving time for serious criminal offences.

Source: Official Home Office data released 16 Jan 2020)

Remember the furore from UK Remainer and EU politicians on costs for applications?

Readers will recall the constant coverage in the media regarding the potential costs of EU27 citizens applying for settled status in the UK. Here is Guy Verhofstadt’s Brexit Steering Group Committee on this question:-

“We continue to believe this process should be cost-free, in keeping with the European Parliament’s longstanding position on this matter.”
- Statement by the Brexit Steering Group of EU Parliament on UK paper on EU citizens in the UK, 2018

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

EU27 countries continue to demand huge sums from UK citizens

EU27 citizens can apply for settled status in the UK – COMPLETELY FREE.
Cost for UK citizens to apply for the same status in France : €119 ((over £100)
Cost for UK citizens to apply for the same status in Austria : €210 ((over £170)
Most EU27 countries have yet to decide a figure

EU27 citizens in UK do have certainty, but many UK citizens in EU27 countries don't

Many EU27 countries do not yet have complete and published information for UK citizens living in their countries. In some cases where they do, UK citizens cannot even apply until the UK has formally left the EU on 31 January.

Meanwhile in the UK, EU27 citizens can apply for immigration status online at no cost, and 2.75 million have already done so. The rules are clear and extremely generous.

To summarise, those who have lived in the UK for over five years get settled status. Those who have lived in the UK for less than five years get pre-settled status which they can convert to settled status when they reach five years.

EU27 citizens with settled or pre-settled status get the following rights

The right to work in the UK
The right to use the NHS for free as they do now
The right to enrol in education or continue studying
The right to access public funds such as benefits and pensions
The right to travel in and out of the UK (for up to 5 years if they have settled status)

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Free movement has benefited citizens from other EU countries,
but citizens of the United Kingdom have used it very little

The facts below come from ‘Mobility in Europe’ (Freedom of Movement), a July 2019 report by the EU Commission’s statistics agency.

Click chart to enlarge - © Brexit Facts4EU.Org

3.9 million EU27 nationals now live in the UK
Less than 850,000 Brits (1%) live in the EU27
4½ times as many EU27 citizens live in the UK, compared to UK citizens in the EU27
The number of EU27 nationals in the UK has continued to rise since the EU Referendum (ONS)
The UK’s proportion of EU nationals is 70% higher than the EU average
Poles top the table at over 1 million
Romanians are second with 416,000, despite only having free movement to the UK from 2007

Where do British people live in the EU27?

Spain is by far the most popular home for Brits in the EU : 285,000 live there [EU figures]
France comes second with 145,000 UK nationals, and Ireland is third with 103,000 UK nationals
The other 310,000 are spread across the remaining 24 EU countries, averaging under 13,000 per member state

Observations

As ever, it seems that the UK has sat back and taken criticism from EU ideologues such as Mr Verhoftstadt - with Remainer commentators, the BBC, and Sky happily reporting on this.

The reality is rather different, as we have demonstrated above using official figures from the EU and from the British Government.

It really is about time the UK Government started to rebut the EU’s nonsense robustly, and once again we call on the Government to improve its outward communications on Brexit dramatically. If these departments are staffed by Remainer civil servants (is there another kind?), then these people must be replaced. We will not be around forever to do their job for them.

If you found this article enlightening and useful, please donate something to us now. We need public donations to continue our research and we receive nothing from other sources. There will be many subjects this year which will need to be exposed, as we head towards the end of the Transition Period on 31 December. Thank you.

[ Sources: EU Commission official statistics | UK Home Office latest figures on Settlement Scheme | EU Parliament ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sat 18 Jan 2020

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Reader Comments 16

11. Martin, Shropshire. , Sunday, January 19, 2020, 15:29:

Totally agree , Barbara. This is just surrender, quite disgusting.

12. L Jones , Sunday, January 19, 2020, 15:57:

Ms Jell - yes, indeed. ''The groaning infrastructure''. Our local hospital has just been slammed for having one of the worst records for waiting times in A&E - and THIS in an area where tens of thousands of new houses are being built with no corresponding increase of our hospital's facilities (or schools or doctors's surgeries) - in fact many A&Es within 20 miles or so were closed recently. And the hospital itself is being blamed!!! Incredible!
WHY all the new houses? WHY the increased numbers using A&E? We all know the answer. And here comes the new tranche of EU arrivals (unless they're already here) to swell the numbers. Are we supposed to be proud of this? WHY this policy of ''come one, come all''?
WHY do so many wish to live here? I thought remainers told us this is a economically sinking, undesirable, racist country.

13. Adam Hiley , Sunday, January 19, 2020, 22:18:

bar Verhofstadt from entering the Country please as well as other EU officials, why should We guarantee EU national, once We have left the EU deport them back to where they come from as it was Blair who with no mandate is responsible for all this in 2004

14. Jon, Wales , Monday, January 20, 2020, 04:15:

It's extremely important we get a grip on how many people are in our country. If this means those from foreign lands need to take some time by registering their existence within the UK in order to identify themselves, then I don't believe those whom choose to come to the UK should grumble at this. Any country needs to forward plan public services, and by definition, this cannot be properly achieved when there is free movement of people (which is something the EU need to wake up to). If you don't know how many people will enter the UK to start with, it places obvious strains on our taxpayer funded public services.
I would further suggest those coming to visit or live in the UK should have a common-sense attitude and bring medical insurance with them until they qualify over 'x' number of years for our extremely generous system. They should not expect Brits to pick up their tab, just as we should not expect the peoples of other countries to pick up our tab when visiting their country.
Whilst the UK is a welcoming country, this welcome should not be taken for granted.
Foreign citizens whom have committed illegal acts should NOT be allowed in to the UK, period. Further, foreign citizens who commit illegal acts whilst in the UK should be deported following a successful prosecution - without exception.
Indeed, I suggest entry to the UK should be conditional - to observe British law. Commit an unlawful act and you get thrown out?
The French establishment need to deal with illegal migrants on their turf and turn them back. It's the only way to stop it, and their problem is absolutely not a UK problem.

15. Concerned , Monday, January 20, 2020, 07:05:

Jon 14, this is not rocket science, to you, I and others these things are elementary but to the woke politcal establishment these things are beyond rocket science.
I agree completely with your assessment of foreign law breakers.
The current and past establishment has made Britain a laughing stock in the wider world. This would have been so easy to fix but the establishment is so weak minded and feeble.

16. Adam Hiley , Tuesday, January 21, 2020, 21:08:

while I was delighted to see Labour & the non Liberal Un Democrats get their just deserts We still have to watch the Tories to ensure full independence from the EU & ECHR

16 comments, page 2 of 2

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