A quarter of EU citizens living in the UK do not consider themselves treated as equals with UK citizens, and 10% intend to leave the islands after 30 June – continues from Report The Independent Monitoring Authority for Citizens’ Rights Agreements
The Independent Monitoring Authority for Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA) It is the independent body that monitors civil rights agreements that protect the rights of citizens of the European Union and the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar. The Foundation monitors the British public authorities in terms of implementing and respecting the rights of citizens of the countries of the European Union and the European Free Trade Association.
Europeans are negative about respecting their rights in the UK
The most recent IMA analysis was conducted between early February and mid-March 2021 on a representative group of nearly 3,000 people living in the United Kingdom.
96 percent of them are citizens of 27 countries belonging to the European Union, 2 percent. Of the countries affiliated with the European Free Trade Association, while the remaining 2 percent. They are relatives of people coming from countries that are members of one of these two international organizations.
The results of the analysis clearly show that a large percentage of European Union citizens fear the future in the United Kingdom. Exactly a quarter of the people interviewed do not consider themselves to be treated as equals with British citizens, while 50% argue that the situation in this regard will worsen in the future.
Almost a third of respondents (30%) fear that their rights will not be respected, but even more people, up to half, are not even aware of one right of theirs.
When asked whether only citizens of EU member states will be accepted into the UK after 30 June this year, as their applications for the EU Settlement Scheme – a document certifying the granting of settled status – will be accepted in the UK. On that date, every tenth person answered yes.
Women and youth are more insecure than smaller centers
Women and youth who live outside the big cities are more certain of their fate. When respondents were asked about the factors that influenced their fear of losing their rights the most, respondents most often indicated a lack of trust in government. Boris JohnsonThe course of the Brexit process, fear of mistreatment of people with stable status and anti-immigrant moods in their environment.
The Europeans are concerned that the British government will begin treating EU citizens as “second class” persons and may “undermine their rights regardless of the political situation in the UK”. The data also included the subject of the “Windrush” scandal.
The Windrush scandal erupted in the wake of The Guardian’s 2017 publication of information from the Home Office that revealed the department’s deliberate efforts to bring about a number of forced deportations from the country from top to bottom.
The welfare of EU citizens living in the UK could not improve either continent That occurred between July 2019 and June 2020, when the country was still part of the European Union and after January 31, 2020, there was a transition period related to Brexit.
Although it was legally impossible to deport EU citizens from the UK, nearly half of the people expelled came from EU countries, most of them from Central and Eastern Europe.
Millions of European Union citizens apply for stability
More than 5 million EU citizens have already completed the application under the EU Settlement Scheme. 97 percent of them obtained settled status, giving them an unlimited right to remain in the UK, or pre-settlement status, allowing them to remain in settled status for five years at the end of that period.
The UK Home Office is currently processing another 320,000 applications. This is the concern of civic organizations like the IMA and the public themselves, as there is very little time left for the deadline to pass. Minister of Immigration Kevin Babysitter Calm down However, “each request that was completed and submitted will be considered on time, and if there is a delay, those who do not receive a response by June 30 will not be deprived of their rights until a decision is made.”
Another controversial issue is whether citizens of the European Union who have been granted temporary status are entitled to the same entitlement to UK Social Security benefits, such as a housing allowance, as are UK citizens or settlers.
The UK Court of Appeals ruling in December 2020 clearly states that persons with temporary status should be treated on an equal basis with others.
The Poles feel discriminated against
As much as 83 percent. The people participating in the IMA survey are citizens of fourteen countries that joined the European Union before 2004. Only 9 percent. Comes from countries that joined society with Poland 17 years ago (with the exception of Malta and Cyprus, which were selected separately by the study organizers).
The report notes that Polish citizens living in Great Britain, along with Bulgarian and Austrian citizens, are the most skeptical when asked about equal treatment, as up to 40 percent of them answered in the negative.
According to UK Home Office data, at the end of December 2020 (the latest quarterly report will be published on May 27), Polish citizens submitted more than 900,000 settled residence applications (this is the second highest result directly after Romanian citizens). It was awarded at 78 percent. Consideration of requests, while another 19 percent. Of the applicants were granted temporary status.
