Almost four in five European Union residents in Brighton and Hove has applied for “settled status” under post-Brexit rules.
The move has become necessary with Britain’s exit from the EU – known as Brexit – and also applies to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Brighton and Hove City Council leader Nancy Platts said: “The council is encouraged by the number of people in the city who have so far applied to the EU Settlement Scheme.
“Latest figures show that 14,970 EU residents out of an estimated 19,000 in Brighton and Hove have applied.
“We are very happy that so many of our fellow citizens wish to stay in the city but potentially we still have 4,000 more residents who need to apply.
“Our EU citizens need to have applied by (Wednesday) 30 June 2021 in order to continue living in the UK.
“We will continue to raise awareness of the scheme in the city and urge all our residents to ensure that their family, friends and colleagues know about the scheme.
“Please look at the council Brexit page to see what support and advice is available.”
Councillor Platts added that
- People need to have applied by Wednesday 30 June 2021 in order to stay in the UK and access healthcare, work, etc
- The figures were released last Thursday (6 February) by the Home Office and represented applications received up to the end of December
- The 19,000 figure is an estimate by the Office for National Statistics and the council was still trying to establish a more accurate figure
- Next figures will be released in May
