EU Settlement Scheme Debate

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Department: Home Office

EU Settlement Scheme

Christian Wakeford Excerpts
Tuesday 29th June 2021

(3 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kevin Foster Portrait Kevin Foster
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The EU settlement scheme has already granted millions of people secure status in this country and is granting it to thousands more people every day. That is the key focus for us: getting people to apply before the deadline. However, as we have said numerous times, we will accept late applications where there are reasonable grounds for that, including from the most vulnerable.

Christian Wakeford Portrait Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con)
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I thank the Minister for updating the House on the progress of the EU settlement scheme. Does he agree that with time running out the best thing we can be doing is encouraging people to make sure they have applied, rather than engaging in the doomsaying, naysaying and the putting down of the entire scheme we have heard from those on the Opposition Benches?

Kevin Foster Portrait Kevin Foster
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I could not agree more. I suspect that a few years back we were getting lots of predictions that we would never manage to grant millions of statuses to people who are our friends and neighbours, but we have managed to do that and we have had applications come in. I agree that now is the time to encourage people to get their applications in and secure their rights, and join the millions of people who have already done so.