By Emma McClelland - 11 May 2021
Because of Brexit, all EU nationals who moved to the UK before Jan 2021 now have to prove their right to live and work in the UK by applying to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). But there are serious concerns about how many people are aware of the scheme and its impending deadline. Even if 90% of eligible EU nationals access the scheme, hundreds of thousands of people will risk going from legal to undocumented residents.
To help mitigate these risks, the Work Rights Centre, along with Settled, have partnered to raise awareness of the EUSS and to support vulnerable EU nationals with their applications. The partnership was made possible by a grant from the Civil Society Roots Incubator grant programme, administered by the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The two organisations have planned a schedule of informative events, including Facebook Live sessions, in multiple languages. The first of these events took place on 26 April in Romanian.
Commenting on the importance of the project, Toni Petkova, Service Co-ordinator at Settled, said: "With less than two months to the EU Settlement Scheme deadline of June 30th, we are in the final sprint to ensure all Europeans secure their future in the UK.
"Our ongoing partnership with the Work Rights Centre increases our reach into the many communities in Greater London. Together we can find, inform and help more Europeans, before it's too late."
Lora Tabakova, Service Provision and Development Manager at WoRC, added: "After the deadline, every single case will become a complex one. Anyone who has not applied under the scheme on time will likely need an adviser at a level higher than OISC level 1 limited to the EU Settlement Scheme.
"The capacity of caseworkers and immigration solicitors able to take on cases is limited already. The more people we can help to secure their status now, the better. This grant, and our partnership with Settled, enables us to do this."
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