Support package launched amid concerns many in rural areas do not know they must apply for settled status

Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has written an open letter to EU citizens living in the country, urging them to stay after Brexit and telling them: “Scotland is your home, you are welcome here, and you are valued.”

The Scottish government is launching a package of practical support to help EU citizens navigate the Home Office’s EU settlement scheme, amid concerns many are unaware of the need to apply or are hampered by technical difficulties.

Launching the Stay in Scotland campaign on Friday morning, Sturgeon writes: “The closer we move towards the UK’s exit from the European Union the more real and substantial reassurances about your rights and position in this country you need.”

Noting that migration remains a reserved issue, she adds: “While the Scottish government unfortunately does not have the power to simply grant the right to remain for those that seek it, we do want all those who have made their lives here to be able to stay.”

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Posters, leaflets and online resources will be sent to community groups and employers, while funding will be provided to citizens’ advice bureaux across Scotland to pay for Android phones, the only devices that support the app allowing full applications to be made remotely.

Dorota Peszkowska of the EU citizens rights’ project in Scotland has been holding information events about the settlement scheme across the country. She said: “We have found that, particularly in more rural areas of Scotland, some EU citizens don’t understand that they are now required to apply for settled status.”

She added that, even for those who were aware of the need to apply, the scheme presented difficulties for individuals without the expected form of documentation and those who are not fluent in English.

“The Home Office has added more centres where people can get help if they have technical difficulties, but this still assumes that they have documents with a biometric chip. Those who don’t, have to send their documents by post.

“Around half of the people who we are in touch with need to post their documents, and obviously they worry about losing them in transit.”

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She added: “The registration scheme is particularly difficult for people who live far from city centres or don’t speak fluent English, and it adds extra layers of anxiety to questions about something as fundamental as your right to reside in a place.”

The Scottish government has consistently highlighted the potentially devastating impact that the loss of EU nationals could have on the country’s economy, particularly across the Highlands, which face especial demographic challenges.