Stop this legal limbo for our EU friends and neighbours

Source: https://www.the3million.org.uk/

Imagine living under a cloud of uncertainty about whether you could stay in the community in which you live - a community where you may have lived for decades, had a family, built up wide networks of friends and neighbours - but where now, through no fault of your own, are unsure whether you can remain.

That is exactly what is happening to hundreds of EU nationals living in Esher and Walton who, according to official Government figures, have not been offered permanent residency in the UK. These local families from the EU are now in “legal limbo” and it’s throwing people’s lives into anxiety and uncertainty.

The figures for Elmbridge Borough, which covers Esher and Walton, show that, of the 3,950 EU nationals who have applied for permanent residency, only 2,410 have been offered settled status. However, a further 880 have been granted pre-settled status, which only gives the temporary right to stay in the UK.

Another 630 EU nationals living in Elmbridge have applied for permanent residency but are still waiting for a final decision to be made. Five hundred of the applications for settled status in Elmbridge were for children, i.e. those under 18.

This is a disgraceful situation, entirely of the Conservative government’s making. Many of these EU nationals fill vital roles in our health service and our schools. Their families and children are an integral part of our community and must not be made to live under a cloud of uncertainty any longer.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to resolve this legal limbo and, by stopping Brexit, we can further protect the rights of EU citizens and build a brighter future for our country.