It is truly astonishing what people will get upset about these days – such as this video from the Home Office about the EU Settlement Scheme. This is for European Union citizens who aren’t British (or Irish) as yet and thus who will have an indeterminate status come Brexit. Well, their legal status as citizens of somewhere will remain, but whether that allows them to stay here will be unknown.
So, obviously enough, we’ve put in place a system to deal with this. If you are in the UK and you tick all the boxes to be allowed to be in the UK then you can stay in the UK. This will cost £65 – a reasonable enough sum if you’ve any experience at all of visa and work permit etc applications elsewhere in the world.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] EU nationals and remain campaigners have reacted with anger to a Home Office video outlining the application process for EU citizens who want to continue living in the country after 31 December 2020. Criticism focused on the upbeat tone of the video, which features “cheery” music and pictures of smiling people, and details the EU settlement scheme. The scheme, which is being tested and will be operational by 30 March, will check the identity, UK residence status and criminal record of all EU citizens living in the UK. [/perfectpullquote]No doubt sombre, funereal, music and downcast visages is the correct way to encourage people to stay in our lovely country? Alternatively, we can just wonder at what people will whinge about these days. It’s really not that bad:
EU citizens and their families will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 31 December 2020.
Find out more: https://t.co/S5UB9n8iFU #Brexit pic.twitter.com/HdqySqRk8M
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) December 27, 2018
See? It’s just not that terrible now, is it?
Particularly as they’ve had two years to prove that this is their home by making this their home by actually signing the bit of paper. My then wife was due to lose her ability to live here due to Hong Kong leaving the British embrace, so she did what any sane and sensible person who feels that this country is their home, and made this country her home by signing the bit of paper. As as I recollect it was in the hundreds of pounds region and no fast-tracking.