Agenda item

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

            The purpose of this report is to update Members on the EU Settlement Scheme

2.0       Recommendations

            Members are asked to note the update provided.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

            To allow EU citizens and their families to continue to live and work in the UK after 31 December 2020 (the end of the proposed transition period) the UK government reached an agreement with the EU in March 2018 called the EU Settlement Scheme. This includes all EU citizens who arrive in the UK before 31 December 2020.  EU citizens will need to get ‘Settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status to continue to live and work in the UK after December 2020. (As a general rule someone with a ‘pre-settled’ status can apply for ‘settled’ status once they have lived in the UK for 5 years.)

            People with a ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status can live in the UK and:

•        work in the UK

•        use the NHS

•        enrol in education or continue studying

•        access public funds such as benefits and pensions, if eligible for them

•        bring family members to the UK after 31 December 2020

•        travel in and out of the UK

            High level details of the scheme are currently available on the Home Office’s website https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families .

            In summary: 

·        The scheme applies to EU citizens and their family members in the UK (spouse, parents, children and dependent relatives).

·        Only 3 conditions to be eligible:

o   Proof of ID

o   5 years residence in UK (if you are in the country before the end of 2020, you can have temporary status until you reach the 5 years and then you have to apply using this same process).

o   No serious convictions.

·        Irish citizens are exempt from the scheme

o   Irish citizens enjoy a right of residence in the UK that is not reliant on the UK’s membership of the EU. They will not be required to apply for status under the scheme (but may do so if they wish), and their eligible family members (who are not Irish citizens or British citizens) will be able to obtain status under the scheme without the Irish citizen doing so.

·        The scheme will be fully open by the end of March 2019 and the deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021.

·        An application will cost £65 for adults and £32.50 for children under £16.  It will be free for those with valid documented permanent residence or valid indefinite leave to remain or enter and also for looked after children.

            The Home Office will be running campaigns advertising the scheme over the coming months and there are also proposing to run regular teleconferences with local authorities across the UK, updating them on how this scheme will be implemented.  Members will be kept updated on the scheme as further information is made available.

            Financial & Resource Implications

            There are no implications relating to this report. 

            Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

            There are no implications relating to this report.”

            A Member suggested that Council take action to undertake a responsibility to make EU citizens within Belfast aware of the December 2020 deadline, in order to limit the impact on families and the dependants of EU citizens resident in Belfast.

            The City Solicitor stated that he would explore the suggestion and would bring a report back to a future Committee meeting.

Noted.