from our correspondent
LONDON – It is a time bomb that is likely to to screw up the entire existence of dozens of thousands of Italian citizens living in Great Britain. In one month, on 30 June, the deadline for requesting the “settled status”, the status of “settled” which after Brexit it is mandatory to continue to legally reside in the United Kingdom: for those who fail to appeal, on 1 July a trap would be triggered which entails the loss of the right to health care, work, housing. And in an extreme case, it can lead to expulsion, even if you have lived across the Channel for twenty or thirty years.
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It is first and foremost a problem of numbers, which affects all European citizens. At the time of Brexit it was believed that 3 million people from the Union lived in Great Britain: but the latest data published by the British Interior Ministry reveals that 5 million have already applied for “settled status”. Therefore the presence of Europeans was enormously underestimated.
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The community
Before Brexit, the assessment for Italians was a strong community of 700,000 people, of which only half are registered with our consulate: but to date only 500,000 of our compatriots have applied for “settled status”. The diplomats of our embassy explain that in reality, of those 700,000, many also had British citizenship (and therefore do not need “settled status”), while many others have returned to Italy due to the pandemic. But it would be curious to discover that while the presence of Europeans in general was completely underestimated, that of Italians was exaggerated.
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“With the real number of European citizens in Great Britain unknown – explain from” 3million “, the organization that represents immigrants from the EU – the government will not know who missed the June 30 deadline. The official information campaign is limited in scope and many European citizens are unaware of the changes in their legal situation ”. Dimitri Scarlato, Italian representative of «3million», estimates that 5% per cent of Italians may miss the deadline: a low percentage, but which translates into tens of thousands of people. “Many are not aware of the legislation – explains Scarlato – or do not have their documents in order. Then there are many elderly people, who may have been here for a lifetime, who think they are already okay and don’t have to do anything. And yet it is not like that ».
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In Rule
The consequences are likely to be heavy. From 1 July employers are obliged to check that their staff are in good standingotherwise they would be accused of employing “illegal immigrants”. Landlords must also ensure that tenants have the right to live in Great Britain before renting an apartment. And in reality the problems have already begun: in the legal confusion, small businesses or owners, not knowing how to regulate themselves, have begun to reject Europeans. And the difficulties are exacerbated by the fact that “settled status” does not consist of a physical document, but is only digital: and therefore it can sometimes be difficult to prove it.
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This is why the “3million” organization has asked to extend the deadline of June 30, or at least to minimize its impact. And the request for an extension was also re-launched in recent days by the Scottish autonomous government: “European citizens who miss the deadline – said Jenny Gilruth, minister for Europe in the Edinburgh government – they will not be able to work, study, receive assistance, drive a car or open a bank account: their life will turn upside down. We know that thousands still have to apply: I ask the British government to extend the deadline. ‘
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Flexibility
But it is a position that at the moment does not seem to be endorsed by the Italian government: that of the extension “is an oversized request”, says Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Benedetto della Vedova, who in recent days has been in London to meet, among others, the British minister responsible for the Settlement Scheme. «We have raised the issue of what will happen after June 30 – explains Della Vedova – and we hope that the British manage the situation with pragmatism and flexibility. That deadline is not to be considered final in all cases”.
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The Italian government does not rule out the possibility of coordinating with other European countries to act in concert. But hoping for flexibility on the part of the British can seem risky, when you look at how they have begun to apply the new immigration regime: whoever arrives now from Europe without a visa is stopped, “packaged” and sent back without many compliments. Will the hunt for the “Italian outlaw” start from 1 July?
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May 31, 2021 (change June 1, 2021 | 07:16)
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