It will likely take a generation before we can be sure that all EU citizens who are entitled to stay in the UK under the Withdrawal Agreement will be able to access their rights. This is an ongoing, long-term issue.

The Welsh Parliament / Senedd Cymru will today debate the current and future challenges of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and European citizens’ rights after Brexit. Settled’s CEO and other staff are pleased to be attending, as well as colleagues from the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA).

Based in Newport, Wales, our UK-wide charity has played a key role working with the Welsh Government to help ensure that it is at the forefront of keeping the spotlight on Europeans’ rights in the UK. We are the lead provider of free, multilingual advice on the EUSS in Wales, through face-to-face outreach and phone/online services. Based on this, we were proud to contribute evidence to the Senedd’s recent monitoring report that will be discussed at today’s debate.

Speaking in July to the Welsh Parliament’s Equality & Social Justice Committee (recording here), we summarised our OISC accredited advice services, including increased outreach to reach marginalised people in Wales who still need to make late applications, struggle to provide evidence for upgrade from pre-settled to settled status, or who have difficulties accessing rights to welfare benefits or employment, for example.

“People are still coming out of the woodwork who didn’t know they needed to apply, or have had difficulty. It may be a generation before we can be assured that everybody who needed to sort their status has done so, and is able to use the digital scheme to demonstrate it” – Kate Smart, CEO.
“That’s absolutely clear given the numbers who continue to apply, month after month” – Jenny Rathbone MS, Chair of Senedd Committee.

We also spoke of our deep and broad organisational links with grassroots charities, councils, the IMA, the Home Office, the EU Delegation to the UK, and member states embassies; and our desire to provide further training to increase awareness and understanding amongst professionals in Wales.

We look forward to hearing these pressing issues discussed at today’s parliamentary debate. There is uncertainty about what the future holds, but the need is clear for organisations like Settled to continue providing advice and support, and working with local and national authorities, to ensure Europeans’ rights are fully accessed over the next generation