In light of the very large proportion of EU citizens who are Catholic and attached to our parishes in England and Wales, it is a good time to highlight further details about the Settlement Scheme for EU/EEA citizens who wish to remain in the UK after Brexit. The Settlement Scheme is due to fully open by the end of March 2019.
All the details and links to the application process can now be found at: gov.uk/eusettledstatus
The Prime Minister has announced that there will not be a charge when applying to settle in the UK. Nevertheless, many of those who have made their homes here and wish to stay will still be facing uncertainty and confusion about what they need to do. The Bishops’ Conference is continuing to engage with both the Home Office and the European Commission to address problems with the scheme and help make people aware of their rights.
A website has been launched by the European Commission to help people understand their rights: eurights.uk
This site includes:
Impartial information about the Settlement Scheme
Details of local information sessions across the country
An option for parishes, groups or organisations to book an immigration solicitor free of charge to attend information sessions that they are hosting
This information was shared with the Bishops of England and Wales by the Lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees, Bishop Paul McAleenan.
