As already happens with non-EU nationals, due to the government's failure to extend EU citizens face risk of becoming undocumented virtually overnight. We see it time and again where people who have lived in UK perfectly legally become undocumented due to failures in system. 1/
Once undocumented it is incredibly hard for people to regain legal status. With even charities used as immigration enforcement they are denied access to support, which only increases their vulnerability and risk of the exploitation. 2/
Without an immediate extension to the #EUSettlementScheme the same thing happening to non-EU migrants now will happen to thousands of EU citizens. Jobs, homes, family life, everything thrown into jeopardy by a system which the Home Office claims to be "compassionate". 3/
You can claim that "they should have applied earlier", but not only does that ignore that for many of the most vulnerable, in the most precarious of positions, that hasn't been possible, it also relies on an argument which belies the reality of what is actually happening. 4/
As with the people who claim that asylum seekers should just "stop crossing the channel", it is an argument rooted in fantasy. In the real world this is happening and happening now. No amount of if's, but's, could haves or would haves changes what is happening. 5/
There needs to be an urgent extension to the scheme. Ideally it should have always been automatic, but as that didn't happen it now needs to be indefinitely extended to ensure that everyone who needs to has the chance to apply, to forestall absolute chaos and denial of rights. 6/
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