Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difficulty faced by public service providers in differentiating between citizens of other EU countries who have (1) applied for, (2) received, and (3) not applied for settled status; and what steps they will take to prevent discrimination against such citizens by (a) employers, (b) landlords, (c) schools and colleges, (d) the NHS, and (e) providers of other public services, following the UK’s departure from the EU, (i) during a transition period, (ii) following a no-deal exit, and (iii) in any circumstance before the deadline for application for settled status.

The Government has made clear that the current arrangements for conducting checks on EU nationals, involving the use of national passports and identity cards, will not change before the introduction of the future skills-based immigration system in 2021

The bodies responsible for conducting statutory eligibility checks, including employers, landlords, the NHS and colleges, will not be required to differentiate between citizens of EU countries resident in the UK who have applied for, been granted or have yet to apply for status under the EU Settlement Scheme during any transitional period, including in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The Government’s published White Paper on the UK’s future skills-based immigration system states that we will not require employers to undertake retrospective right to work checks on existing employees when the new system is introduced.
The Government will ensure the position on the status and eligibility of EU citizens to access work and services during this period is clear in guidance to employers and other bodies. All residents of the UK continue to be protected against unlawful discrimination by the Equality Act 2010 and equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland, and we will work with the statutory equality bodies to monitor the operation of these arrangements. The Home Office has engaged with a wide range of groups, including UK employers, landlords and financial service providers, on the EU Settlement Scheme and the future skills-based immigration system.