Has Priti Patel thought through the implications of abruptly ending free movement?
Priti Patel, fresh from announcing that she wants criminals to feel “terror” at the thought of breaking the law and following last week’s Home Office brainwave to print anti-knife messages on the packaging of products from chicken restaurants, has a new plan.
The home secretary has revealed her intention to end freedom of movement from the EU overnight on 31 October in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a policy confirmed by Number 10 yesterday.
Ending free movement after Brexit has been government policy for several years, but the abruptness of this cut-off point has sparked panic.
The government, under Theresa May and now under Boris Johnson, has made repeated assurances about maintaining the rights of three million EU citizens already here, who should not be affected by ending free movement. These citizens have been invited to apply for “settled status” to protect their rights.
However, the reality is more complex.
As the campaign group The3Million has pointed out, since 29 March the Home Office has only processed one million settled status applications, while there have been numerous reports of applications being delayed or incorrectly rejected.
That leaves over two million EU nationals still unprotected, with just 72 days to go.
After the Brexit deadline, those without settled status will have no evidence of their legal right to live and work in the UK. Under the “hostile environment” policy implemented when May was home secretary to combat illegal immigration, businesses and landlords will face fines for employing or renting to anyone who cannot prove their status.
In addition to the substantial personal cost to these individuals, employers face the unenviable task of having to police the new policy, potentially by firing staff whose status is in doubt.
The British Chamber of Commerce warned of disruption and skills shortages, while London First said the move “piles further pressure on businesses” and accused the government of “continually moving the goal posts”.
Number 10 yesterday urged EU nationals to apply and promised that there would be some kind of safety net for those with pending applications, but did not make clear what this would be, or how it would impact employers. Given the Home Office’s mismanagement of the Windrush saga, it is dubious how much faith individuals and businesses can place in the government’s assurances.
The Prime Minister has pledged to guarantee the rights of the three million EU citizens, while Patel has promised to restore “integrity” to Britain’s immigration system.
It is difficult to see how a policy that potentially discriminates against legal EU residents as a result of government error and places additional burdens on businesses to enforce this fulfils either of these commitments.
Main image credit: Getty