This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44553225

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Brexit: Three 'simple' questions for EU citizens to stay in UK Brexit: Three 'simple' questions for EU citizens to stay in UK
(35 minutes later)
EU citizens will have to answer three "simple" questions online if they want to continue living in the UK after Brexit, the home secretary has said.EU citizens will have to answer three "simple" questions online if they want to continue living in the UK after Brexit, the home secretary has said.
"We will not be looking for excuses to not grant settled status," Sajid Javid told a Lords committee."We will not be looking for excuses to not grant settled status," Sajid Javid told a Lords committee.
They will be asked to prove their ID, whether they have criminal convictions and whether they live in the UK.They will be asked to prove their ID, whether they have criminal convictions and whether they live in the UK.
Their answers will be checked against government databases and a decision given "very quickly", said Mr Javid.Their answers will be checked against government databases and a decision given "very quickly", said Mr Javid.
Full details of the proposed scheme will be set out shortly by immigration minister Caroline Nokes.Full details of the proposed scheme will be set out shortly by immigration minister Caroline Nokes.
But the home secretary told the Lords EU Justice committee the government's "default" position would be to grant settled status and there would have to be "a very good reason why you are not going to get that". But the home secretary told the Lords EU Justice sub-committee the government's "default" position would be to grant settled status and there would have to be "a very good reason why you are not going to get that".
He said there would be two types of status granted:He said there would be two types of status granted:
The scheme will operate online and via a smartphone app, Mr Javid said, and would be "as simple as people can reasonably expect".The scheme will operate online and via a smartphone app, Mr Javid said, and would be "as simple as people can reasonably expect".
He said the government would be able to check information provided by applicants "electronically, automatically", adding that applicants would typically already have relationships with other government departments - for instance HMRC or the DWP - and the system would be linked with those records, meaning applicants would not be required to provide further information. The government wants to get the scheme's rules in place by July when it hopes to start trials of it, with people allowed to start registering in the autumn.
Mr Javid added: "We are using government information, government records in a way, sadly, we didn't with the Windrush generation and other cases, but actually proactively using that information, and I hope that message comes through." Mr Javid said he wanted it to be fully operational by the "start of next year", adding that he wanted to avoid a "surge" of applicants when the UK leaves the EU in March.
He also accused EU nations, such as France and Spain, of failing to match the UK's progress on plans for expats after Brexit. The scheme would run throughout the two-year transition period after Brexit day and beyond, said the home secretary, up to June 2021.
The hope is that most applicants will not have to provide supporting documents because their answers will be checked against government databases - such as HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions - as the system will be linked with those records.
Mr Javid said: "We are using government information, government records in a way, sadly, we didn't with the Windrush generation and other cases, but actually proactively using that information, and I hope that message comes through."
Applicants with Android phones will be able to download an app which can read the chip in their passport to verify their identity - and they will be able to take a "selfie" that can be checked against Home Office records, said Mr Javid.
But he said there was an "an issue at the moment" with Apple device users, who will not be able to make use of this app, and instead will have to send in their passport to prove their identity.
The home secretary said he had raised the issue with Apple on a recent visit to Silicon Valley and the company was "looking at it actively".
Applicants without smartphones or computers will be able to fill in their application online at libraries and other locations, said the home secretary.
Those without access to computers, or who are unable to use them, will be given assistance and may be visited at home by immigration officials, who will help them complete the process, said the home secretary.
Mr Javid also accused EU nations, such as France and Spain, of failing to match the UK's progress on plans for expats after Brexit.
There are 3.8 million EU citizens in the UK, and about 900,000 UK citizens in the EU, according to ONS figures.There are 3.8 million EU citizens in the UK, and about 900,000 UK citizens in the EU, according to ONS figures.
Both sides of the Brexit negotiations have resolved to secure the status of expats by the time the UK leaves the EU in March 2019.Both sides of the Brexit negotiations have resolved to secure the status of expats by the time the UK leaves the EU in March 2019.
But any deal they reach will have to be ratified by the European Parliament and agreed to by member states.But any deal they reach will have to be ratified by the European Parliament and agreed to by member states.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal then the status of British citizens living in the EU member states is less certain.If the UK leaves the EU without a deal then the status of British citizens living in the EU member states is less certain.
The UK would expect member states to allow Britons living in the EU the same rights as it plans to grant EU citizens in the UK but it would be down to individual countries to decide what to do.The UK would expect member states to allow Britons living in the EU the same rights as it plans to grant EU citizens in the UK but it would be down to individual countries to decide what to do.
Mr Javid will give MPs more details later about the UK's plans to allow EU nationals living in the UK to apply for "settled status" - something they will have to do if even if they already have permanent residence status.
This is expected to include who is eligible, how people will be able to apply and what it will cost, with the scheme to open "in a phased way" later this year.
'Rock solid commitment'
Mr Javid said Mr Verhofstadt had already acknowledged to him that other EU countries had not done enough so far.
"This is not good enough and I hope both the European Parliament and commission will exert more pressure for them to do this as soon as possible."
Mr Verhofstadt said the EU Parliament would "defend the rights of all those affected by Brexit".
"The European Parliament will soon launch an extensive process in order to scrutinise the preparations being made by EU countries for British expats and we continue to believe the unresolved issue of onward movement rights must also be addressed for any deal to be reached," he added.
The Belgian MEP also raised concerns about the "high cost" of settled status.
"Why should EU citizens be financially punished for the Brexit referendum outcome, when we don't even know yet what the future EU - UK mobility agreement will look like?"
Dutch national Francisca Oxley, of the campaign group the3million, said she was hoping for a "rock solid commitment" from the UK government about how the UK's scheme will work.
What we know so far
The Home Office has already detailed some features of its planned approach.
EU citizens who have been in the country for five years by the end of 2020 will be able to apply for "settled status", which means they can work and live in the UK.
Assuming the UK and EU agree a Brexit deal, those who have arrived by 31 December 2020 - when the proposed Brexit transition period is due to end - but do not have five years' residence, will be able to apply to stay until they have reached the threshold, at which point they can seek settled status.
The government has agreed that EU citizens and their families who arrive between 30 March 2019 - after the UK leaves the EU - and 31 December 2020 will stay on the same terms, but will have to register if they choose to stay longer than three months.
UK government ministers have said there will be an online system - similar to one used to renew driving licences - that will take minutes to complete, with a fee similar to getting a passport, which costs from £75.50.
A mobile app for citizens to complete their registration only works fully on Android phones, and the Home Office says it "continues to engage" with Apple to resolve the issue for iPhones.
An ID document and recent photograph will have to be provided by applicants and any criminal convictions declared.
The scheme would be open until the end of June 2021.