Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that British citizens living in EU countries have secure residence in those countries after the 30 June 2021 deadline; and what guidance his Department has published on the consequences of those people of not having applied for permanent residence by that date.

The Government has provided extensive support to UK nationals who were lawfully resident in the EU before the end of the transition period to ensure that they are aware of their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement and the actions they need to take. The Government launched a public information campaign on 13 July 2020 which will run until December 2021 across 30 countries. Our European network of Embassies, Consulates and High Commissions has held over  785 outreach events, reaching over  495,000 UK nationals, since November 2017. Information is also available on our 'Living in Guides', the 'Living in Europe' page and our 'citizens' rights explainer' all on gov.uk. This includes information on the consequences for failing to apply by the deadline, where an application is required.

We have allocated up to £4 million in grant funding to provide support to UK nationals and their family members, including the vulnerable and hard-to-reach, who need additional assistance when applying or registering their residence. It has enabled our implementing partners to reach nearly 320,000 people, of which 16,000 have been directly supported by a caseworker.

Thirteen Member States require an application for a new residence status to secure rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. This status may be permanent or non-permanent depending on how long the individual has been resident in the host State. UK nationals in France, Luxembourg, Latvia and Malta need to apply by the deadline on 30 June 2021, while the other Member States have set their deadline for later in 2021.