With nearly 42,000 applications so far made from Hampshire to the Government’s EU Settlement Scheme, Hampshire County Council is asking people to spread the word to any friends or family members who wish to do so to apply before 30 June.
Councillor Andrew Joy, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Communities, Partnerships and External Affairs, said: “I’m really pleased to see that the number of applications to the Government’s EU Settlement Scheme from EU citizens living in Hampshire continues to rise with an additional 5,360 EU citizens living in Hampshire having now completed their applications since December last year.
“The scheme is open until the end of June, so it’s important we keep reminding anyone who has yet to apply that the scheme is still open. I would ask all Hampshire residents with friends or family who would like to apply for the Settlement Scheme to please do so - there’s no cost, and advice and guidance is available should it be needed.”
Latest figures show that 41,810 applications have been successful, which is nearly 100% of the estimated total number of EU citizens living in Hampshire.
The EU Settlement Scheme is designed to protect the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. It involves an online registration process, which has been designed specifically to enable those EU citizens, already lawfully based in the UK, to remain living and working in the UK after 30 June 2021. The latest figures are those of 31 December 2020.
Support and advice is available for those needing help with the online form or assistance with complex cases at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Citizens Advice Bureau Southampton has been funded by the Home Office to provide an EUSS support service to help vulnerable people in the region, and the Southampton Registration Service is offering an ID scanning service. Guidance about how to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme is set out on the Government’s webpage and is available online in 26 European languages.
The estimated number of EU citizens living in Hampshire is based on ONS data correct as of 2019.