Boris Johnson insists free movement ’will end’ October 31
Critics say government not prepared to implement new
immigration system in less than three months.
By ANNABELLE
DICKSON 8/19/19, 5:09 PM CET Updated
8/19/19, 5:20 PM CET
LONDON — Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit immigration plan is
still “being developed” but he insisted today that freedom of movement “will
end” on October 31.
At a regular briefing for journalists, a spokeswoman for the
prime minister said “tougher criminality rules” for people entering the U.K.
would be immediately introduced, as one example of how the U.K.’s immigration
policy would shift from day one after Brexit.
Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May had been planning a
“transition” period until the end of 2020 during which the U.K. would continue
to have the same obligations as an EU country, under the Withdrawal Agreement
negotiated with the EU27. That deal was voted down by parliament and Johnson
has called for it to be reopened.
The new prime minister’s tough stance has big implications
for a host of industries reliant on workers from abroad such as the farming
sector and the National Health Service, and would require immediate changes to
immigration checks at airports and ports.
The spokeswoman said the government’s settled status scheme,
which May’s government set up to guarantee that EU nationals living in the U.K.
before the end of 2020 are able to remain in the U.K. indefinitely, would
continue as it had previously been announced.
The Home Office said today that, while EU citizens will have
until December 2020 to apply for settled status, it will only be EU citizens
living in the U.K. before 11 p.m. on October 31 that will be eligible.
“Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on
October 31 when the U.K. leaves the EU. For example we will introduce
immediately much tougher criminality rules for people entering the U.K. Details
of other changes immediately on October 31 for a new immigration system are
currently being developed and we will set out further plans on that front
shortly,” the spokeswoman said.
“The prime minister has obviously been clear he wants to
introduce an Australian-style points base immigration system,” the spokeswoman
added. Australian visas are allocated in line with criteria including age,
qualifications and English language ability.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has sent officials to Singapore
to “understand how a well-functioning immigration IT system is developed.
Specifically, ensuring we can count people in and out the country,” the Daily
Telegraph reported Sunday.
However, concerns have been raised it would be impossible to
implement immediate changes because the government has not yet solved the
question of how to distinguish between those who were already in the U.K.
before Brexit and those who will enter the country post October 31, and because
government will not have finished registering all EU citizens already in the
U.K. by then.
A Downing Street official privately admitted that in a
no-deal scenario there would not be a lot of time available to make a
“significant change” to the U.K.’s immigration system and to get a new system
ready.
Authors:
'Reckless' plan to cut off free movement alarms EU nationals
European citizens in UK fear they could be caught up in
hostile environment policies
‘It’s a sign of panic’: EU nationals on the UK’s threat
Amelia Gentleman, Mattha Busby and Rajeev Syal
Mon 19 Aug 2019 19.27 BST Last modified on Mon 19 Aug 2019
23.31 BST
EU citizens at a
protest in 2017
At least 2.6 million EU nationals have
yet to apply for settled status in the UK. Photograph: Kristian Buus/In
Pictures/Getty Images
Plans to end freedom of movement for EU citizens immediately
after a no-deal Brexit have caused anxiety and confusion among European
nationals in the UK, with concerns they could be caught up in hostile
environment policies.
Downing Street confirmed rules allowing EU nationals to live
and work freely in the UK would end abruptly if the UK leaves the bloc without
an agreement at the end of October.
In theory, the rights of EU citizens who have permanent
residence in the UK should not be affected and they will continue to be allowed
to apply for settled status – granted once they have lived in the UK for five
years – until the end of December 2020.
However, news of a possible sharp end to free movement
without the transition period envisaged under Theresa May’s administration
provoked concern about how at least 2.6 million EU nationals who have yet to
apply for settled status would prove they are in the UK legally.
The3million, which represents EU nationals in the UK, said
plans by the home secretary, Priti Patel, to impose new border restrictions
overnight on 31 October if Britain leaves the EU without a deal were
“reckless”.
Nicolas Hatton, a co-founder of the group, said: “Ending
freedom of movement without putting legal provisions in place for those EU
citizens who have not yet successfully applied through the settlement scheme
will mean that millions of lawful citizens will have their legal status removed
overnight.”
Concerns were heightened with the leak of an internal
government discussion paper warning introducing a sharp cutoff date could
present “legitimate concerns of another Windrush”.
Since March, 1 million EU nationals have successfully
applied for settled status, giving them the right to live in the UK after
Brexit.
Some of those who have yet to apply are worried about their
right to NHS treatment or employment being questioned. Some are also concerned
about how they would prove they have the right to live in the UK if they travel
abroad.
Stephanie Dawoud, a spokeswoman for Imix, an immigration
communications charity, said: “The fear is that the hostile environment will be
applied to EU citizens who are living here legitimately. There is no system in
place to distinguish between the people who have been living in the UK before
Brexit and someone who has arrived on 1 November.
“It will be up to employers, the NHS and landlords to check
whether someone has the right to be here or not. It is another announcement
that feeds into the worst fears of EU citizens in the UK.”
Some EU nationals have not applied for settled status
because the digital application process is yet to be available on iPhones,
although this should be resolved before the end of the year. Campaign groups
say large numbers of people who are required to apply for settled status are
still unaware they need to do so.
There was dismay about the absence of clear information about
what kind of documents people might need to take with them if they were to
travel abroad, returning after 31 October.
Gregorio Benincasa, an Italian citizen living in the UK who
has yet to apply for settled status, said: “Are we expected to carry reams of
documentation proving that we’ve built a life in the UK over the last decade?
Will border guards be responsible for reviewing our employment contracts and
utility bills to prove our status?”
Christian Wuff, a finance project analyst who has been in
the UK since arriving as a student from Norway, said: “This is very scary
stuff. What if I need a new bank
account, a new mortgage, a new job? I’ve been here 19 years without ever
having to show anything other than my passport. Now I’m having to apply to stay
in my own home.”
The Home Office urged EU nationals to apply for settled
status to avoid potential difficulties. Officials said no one eligible for the
status would be barred from re-entering the UK if and when free movement ended,
but it was not clear how checks would be made.
Under May’s government, there was an acceptance the new
immigration system and border controls would not be ready for an immediate
change, so a transition phase was envisaged until they were put in place. This
now appears to have been dropped.
The Conservative MP Alberto Costa, a campaigner for EU
citizens’ rights, said: “The government are creating deep confusion as to what
will happen. No details have been given on how the government would distinguish
between the rights of EU nationals lawfully in the UK pre-Brexit from those who
come into the country after 31 October.”
He said he was concerned about the lack of detail from the
Home Office. “Is there going to be a total block on all EU nationals coming
into the country post-Brexit? Or will all lawfully resident EU nationals be
expected to show some form of settled status evidence? What about the 2.6
million people who have not yet registered?” Costa asked.
“If we don’t do this correctly, it’s not just about lorry
queues on the road to Dover, it’s about denying people their basic rights –
rights to reside, rights to healthcare, rights to pensions.”
Costa also warned of a reciprocal sharp end to free movement
for the 1.3 million British citizens living in other EU nations. “Their rights
would also end abruptly. It is unclear how the British government would protect
their rights,” he said.
A Home Office spokesperson said further details were being
worked on and would be announced shortly. “EU citizens and their families still
have until at least December 2020 to apply to the EU settlement scheme and 1
million people have already been granted status,” they said.
“Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on 31
October when the UK leaves the EU, and after Brexit the government will
introduce a new, fairer immigration system that prioritises skills and what
people can contribute to the UK, rather than where they come from.”
In a sign of further confusion over the government’s policy,
a senior Whitehall source said the only change that had so far been confirmed
by the Home Office was additional criminal record checks on those entering the
UK, while other potential changes were still being assessed.
“I don’t think anyone is leaning in to the fact that there
will be a spanking new system in place,” the source said. “The change is a
symbolic gesture towards the many voters who supported Brexit because they
wished to stop the free flow of people into the UK.
“The home secretary and the PM think that ending freedom of
movement is an integral part of taking back control. The reality is that time
is so short that … it may not look a whole lot different from the policy the
previous government set out.”
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