EU citizens to have ‘default’ acceptance for permanent UK residency EU nationals applying for permanent residency in the UK will be accepted by “default” when the Home Office begins the […]

EU nationals applying for permanent residency in the UK will be accepted by “default” when the Home Office begins the process of registering citizens next year, Amber Rudd told MPs.

The Home Secretary said it would be the “default position” for the Whitehall department to approve applications for the UK’s proposed “settled status” as it tries to make the process as painless as possible.

It comes amid mounting criticism about the existing process to become a permanent UK resident, which requires filling out a document of more than 80 pages.

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Easy access

The Home Office is facing significant scepticism that it will be able to cope with the sheer scale of applications from EU citizens who will register to stay in the country post-Brexit.

But Ms Rudd sought to reassure MPs, stating that her department was working on a new system that would provide an “easy access” registration process.

Chair of the Home Affairs Committee Yvette Cooper warned that there was “very considerable concern” about the Home Office’s “error rate” when it came to applications from EU nationals.

But Ms Rudd said she expected applicants to be able to register “largely without any documents changing hands at all”.

“It is our intention to make it entirely online if that is what the individuals want,” she added.

The Cabinet member said the Government was recruiting a further 1,200 members of staff by next April to ensure applications would be processed without a hitch.

Those already in possession of permanent residency would not have to go through a full application process to gain settled status, she added.

Ms Rudd was unable, however, to guarantee that EU citizens would be able to remain in Britain if the Government fails to secure a Brexit deal.

Asked to leave

The rights of EU nationals living in the UK is one of the three key areas that must be resolved if talks are to progress to discuss trade and transition arrangements.

And while she said it was “unthinkable” EU citizens would be “asked to leave” she could give no guarantees they could remain.

“I think it would be a mistake for me to make such a unilateral declaration given where we are with those negotiations,” she added.

Ms Cooper responded: “That does raise some quite considerable concerns and will raise a lot of concerns for people who will feel they have done the right thing and done everything that has been asked of them that they may still be regarded as illegally resident in the UK.”