Thread by @alexandrabulat

Today is another day of big numbers and soundbites without proper context.

I know a lot of you cannot read @BrandonLewis's article on the EU Settlement Scheme because it's behind a paywall.

So let me review the most problematic points in the article.

thetimes.co.uk/article/were-g…

1. Pitting EU citizens in the UK against UK citizens in the EU. 'We are going the extra mile', says the title, why are the EU not doing the same? From the start, British in EU worked together with EU in UK & we are all set to lose rights. So we won't be divided by politicians.

2. Showing off that the scheme is free. Yes, it's true. But it's not free because politicians being ever so generous with us. When it was announced under Theresa May, the fees were £65 per adult and £32.5 per child. Guess why they scrapped the fees? Pressure from civil society.

3. "It's rather like renewing a passport or a driving license". No, it is absolutely not. Not only the process is different, but the consequences are entirely different too. I will not be unlawfully resident in the country if I fail to renew my driving license before a deadline.

4. "People can apply in as little as 15 minutes". This actually made me laugh because the Government line was "5-10 minutes" in the debate last week. Also, no, it varies a lot. The less straightforward your life was, the more time you will spend dealing with additional evidence.

5. "a secure digital status which cannot be lost, damaged or tampered with". Err...yes, it can. This is either unawareness or wishful thinking that nothing can go wrong with a rapid transition to an all-digital system. Do you want to see the screenshots?

the3million.org.uk/physical-proof

6. "It future-proofs the person's immigration status and is linked to their passport or identity card". Not future proof - e.g. you lose EUSS if out of UK > 5 years. Crucial point 2 - would he also tell us we need to inform the HO every time we change our passport/ID number?

7. "So they [vulnerable people] don't get left behind". Some will. And we do not know how many, because we do not know how many EU citizens are in the UK. There will be people who the Government will fail to reach before the deadline. Anyone who works on the ground knows this.

8. "The EU Settlement Scheme goes above and beyond what we agreed with the EU on citizens' rights". I wonder if Mr Lewis actually read the Withdrawal Agreement. I did. And it provided a choice between an application system (what we have now) and a fairer declaratory registration.

Overall, this promotional essay contains big numbers without context, deliberately omits important detail, selectively presents and frames reality and advances an overall unhelpful narrative of pitting EU migrants in the UK against British migrants in the EU.

Review & resubmit.