The registration of 3 million EU nationals in Britain will begin by the end of next year with the “default position” of the Home Office to accept applications, the home secretary has told MPs.
Amber Rudd said that 1,200 extra staff were to be recruited by next April to provide an “easy access” registration process that she promised would be “completely different” from the troubled permanent residency application system that has undermined confidence in the Home Office.
The home secretary also fuelled the Brexit debate within the cabinet by telling the Commons home affairs committee that leaving the EU without a deal would be “unthinkable” for Britain and the EU after being asked a series of questions about the implications of the lack of any agreement for security and immigration.
The Home Office’s permanent secretary, Philip Rutnam, told MPs that it would be unwise to rule out using troops to police the borders in a no-deal Brexit but stressed that the use of the army would be an “absolute last resort”.
Rudd tried to reassure MPs in the face of recent scepticism of the capacity of the Home Office to deliver the registration of 3 million EU nationals by insisting that it would be an “easy access” online process for those who opt to apply that way and would not involve 80 pages plus, as is the case with existing permanent residence applications.
The home secretary said the “default position” would be to accept EU nationals’ applications for “settled status” if they qualified, with online checks with HMRC/DWP with their consent and identity and criminal background inquiries also made.
She denied that there had been a high error rate in Home Office decisions on EU nationals’ applications for permanent residence but said she accepted that there had been mistakes in individual cases for which apologies had been made.
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