Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether biometric and other data that has been supplied as part of applications for settled status by EU citizens under the EU Settlement Scheme will be deleted in the case of persons whose applications have been rejected; and if so, at what point such deletion will take place.

Biometrics enrolled as part of an application to EU Settlement Scheme will be retained in accordance with the Immigration (Physical Data) Regulations 2006, as amended. In practice, this means that fingerprints will normally be retained for up to 10 years, unless the person has settled status or is considered to be a risk of high harm to the UK.

All fingerprints are deleted from the Immigration and Asylum Biometric System when the person becomes a British citizen. Facial images may be retained until the person becomes a British citizen and obtains a British passport. Biometrics may only be retained as long as the Secretary of State considers it is necessary to retain them for use in connection with the exercise of a function by virtue of the Immigration Acts or a function in relation to nationality.