Fears for rights of EU citizens still waiting for UK settled status

Backlog of 305,000 applications in post-Brexit settlement scheme prompts calls for extension of 30 June deadline

Hundreds of thousands of European citizens face legal limbo if the Home Office fails to clear a backlog of more than 300,000 applications before the EU settlement scheme closes at the end of this month, campaigners have warned.

With about three weeks to go before the deadline for EU workers and their families to apply for permanent residency in the UK, campaigners say anxiety and confusion remain over the rights of the 305,000 who have applied and are waiting for a decision, with many fearing that they risk a loss of rights similar to that experienced by the Windrush generation.