The deadline for EU Settlement Scheme applications has passed on 30th June 2021. Since the start of the Scheme in August 2018 (this includes initial pilot period, as the Scheme was widely opened to everyone in March 2019) until the end of the application period, there were over 6 million application submitted in the UK. This was significantly higher number from initially estimated 3 million (hence the name of the organisation the3million). In late September, the Home Office published more detailed, quarterly statistics and so we decided to have a closer look on the figures for Scotland and Scottish local authorities.

From 1st July 2021 UK employers face changes in right to work checks for EEA nationals. Until 30th June 2021, EEA nationals could prove their right to work by presenting a valid ID document but now, new employees must provide proof that they have been granted (or at least applied for) status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Without a valid confirmation of the right to work, employers cannot sign new staff. If they do, they can face a penalty up to £20,000 for employing undocumented workers. 

Those who are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme can still apply for settled or pre-settled status even after the deadline of 30th June 2021. Late applications, however, are discretionary. This means that applicants must explain and prove why they were unable to apply before the deadline. The Home Office caseworker will then assess if the applicant falls under one of the categories of reasonable grounds to make a late application, and decide whether to accept this application or not. 

On 25 February 2021, The Home Office published the latest quarterly information on applications received and cases concluded to the EUSS for local authorities and regions from 28 August 2018 to 31 December 2020. We have decided to have a closer look at the figures for local authorities in Scotland and nationalities that submitted the most applications in each of those local authorities.

On 6th May 2021 Scotland will hold the elections to the Scottish Parliament. Foreign national of another country living in Scotland who has leave to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need leave can also vote. The deadline to register to vote is 19 April 2021. The registration deadline for a postal vote is 6 April 2021.

We have launched an appeal to raise funds to assist the most vulnerable clients with the costs of their travel, paying for new ID documents, or even taking a passport photo. There are only few hardship funds available in Scotland and our clients are often not eligible to apply for either of them and rely on private discretionary donations.

The Citizens’ Rights Project is expanding its services for European citizens by providing a multilingual rights service, in Spanish and Polish, for EU citizens in Edinburgh during the pandemic.

If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, or their family member, living in the UK and have concerns about how the rules on criminality issues affect you, we advise to read this article, seek professional help and apply as soon as possible for pre-settled or settled status.

My name is Helen. I am a linguist, and in my leisure time, I volunteer as an OISC registered EUSS advisor for the Citizens’ Rights Project. I support  fellow EU citizens who live in the Central Belt and Trossachs to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

I am aware, from discussions on the internet and questions at meetings, that some EU citizens have wondered whether they could travel to the UK before the end of 2020 and stay in the UK temporarily, perhaps for a very short period, with the idea of acquiring status under the Settlement Scheme as a type of ‘insurance policy’. The intention is not to live in the UK at that stage, but to be able to use that status to secure a right to reside in the UK at some future date if they wished or needed to do so.

The Citizens Rights Project has organised a further free webinar about the EU Settlement Scheme aimed at professionals working with vulnerable EU citizens in local authorities and third sector organisations, in collaboration with their partner Drummond Miller LLP.

At the end of August, the Home Office has published new quarterly statistics of the EU Settlement Scheme. We had a closer look at these statistics wondering what nationalities have submitted the most EUSS applications in Scotland and which local authorities have the largest number of applications. Then, we looked at the top 10 of these local authorities and checked which nationalities submitted the most applications in each of them.

The pandemic has made it difficult for some EU nationals to fulfil the requirements of the EU Settlement Scheme. Some cannot obtain the documents they need or may fall foul of the continuous residency rules. Mark Lazarowicz (Terra Firma Chambers) and Dorota Peszkowska (Feniks) warn they are at risk of losing their right to stay in the UK and claim benefits, and suggest how the Home Office could alter its guidance.

With less than six months remaining in the EU Exit Transition period, EU Citizens in Scotland are to get increased support from the Scottish Government funded Citizens Rights Project. Part of the government’s Stay in Scotland package, this funding will support the project’s continuing work on two programmes:

Become part of our family of volunteers. Citizens Rights Project is focused on providing information about the EU Settlement Scheme, which involves the application process for the settled or pre-settled status for Eu/EEA/Swiss nationals, and their family members, living in the UK.

s a small third-sector organisation, with a mission to help vulnerable EEA nationals, we count on other NGOs, local governments, community groups, employers and others to help us reaching them. We have designed an especific call for action that will help us diseminating information about the scheme and our free help widely.

We’re joining together with Northern Ireland’s ‘Committee on the Administration of Justice’ to organise (from Northern Ireland) a free webinar on new changes to the UK’s rules on settled status for EU citizens.

The lockdown because of Covid-19 has obviously meant that we have had to change the way that we operate. This has had particular impact on our plans for our ‘Settled Scotland’ project, to provide advice and support to EU citizens in Scotland who want to apply for settled status.

Settled Scotland focuses on providing information on, and assistance with, the application process for the settled or pre-settled status for EU and EEA nationals living in the UK. The aim of the programme is recruiting local volunteers and trained them to become registered under the OISC Level 1 special scheme for community groups, charities and other not-for-profit organisations providing advice on EU Settled Status scheme applications.

We are delighted to announce that the Scottish Government has funded EU Citizens' Rights Project with £50,000 to deliver further information events across Scotland for EU/EEA Citizens and their families, and third sector and local government workers, until March 2020.

We are happy to announce a new partnership between our EU Citizens' Rights Project and Feniks Counselling, Personal Development and Support Services Ltd. Together we have received funds to support members of the EU27 community in the Lothians.