Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his department has made of the number of people who will be registered for settled status in the United Kingdom by (a) 29 March 2019, (b) 31 December 2020 and (c) 30 June 2021, in the event of the UK leaving the EU (i) with a withdrawal agreement and (ii) without a deal.

The 3.5 million EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK are eligible to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Following two successful private beta test phases, we commenced the wider public roll-out of the scheme on 21 January. The EU Settlement Scheme will be fully open by 30 March 2019 and EU citizens will have until 30 June 2021 to apply, in line with the draft Withdrawal Agreement.

In the event of a no deal, the Prime Minister has already made clear that all EU citizens resident here by 29 March 2019 will be welcome to stay. The deadline for applications will be 31 December 2020 to align with the start of the new UK immigration system.

We want all EU citizens and their family members who are eligible to do so, to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. A targeted communications plan is already underway and once the scheme is fully rolled out by 30 March 2019, a full campaign will ensure we reach as many people as possible, both directly and through third parties such as employers and charities. Additionally, up to £9 million of grant funding will also be made available to enable civil society organisations to mobilise services targeted at vulnerable EU citizens and their families to ensure those that require the most support to apply to the scheme can access it.