THE Scottish and Welsh governments have raised serious concerns about the workings of the proposed scheme that will allow EU citizens to stay in the UK after Brexit.
They have written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid calling for an urgent meeting and demanding the UK Government fully consults the devolved administrations on the rules around settled status before they are published.
People who have been living in the UK lawfully for five years by December 31, 2020 will be able to apply for settled status during the Brexit transition period.
The letter, from Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Welsh Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford warns of “great uncertainty” and a “severe lack of detail”. It says: “There are potentially significant numbers of people who are at risk of missing out on settled status simply due to being unable to or unaware that they can and need to apply.
“This continuing lack of detail is not only a serious issue for our two governments, but is clearly of significant concern to people who are understandably anxious about what Brexit means for their future.
“We are concerned about the lack of clarity around the expected role of local government, both in informing EEA citizens about the scheme, and in supporting individuals through the application process.”
The letter adds that there is a “clear expectation” that there should be full consultation and that the UK Government should “fund the costs of additional responsibilities”.
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