Home Office gets number of Europeans staying after Brexit 'woefully' wrong

The Home Office has been accused of "woefully" underestimating the number of Europeans who would take up the opportunity to remain in the UK after Brexit. A new analysis by the Centre for Migration Control (CMC) claims officials "got their numbers wrong by 1.7million people".

The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was launched to provide a route for European citizens to remain in the UK after the country left the EU. A 2019 Home Office impact assessment suggested up to 4.1million people could be eligible. But this year, the Home Office reported that "just under 4.2million applications have been granted settled status since the EUSS was launched in 2018" - and an estimated 1.6million people held pre-settled status.

Robert Bates, research director at the CMC, said the Home Office's assumptions were "woefully wide of the mark".

He said: "They have got their numbers wrong by 1.7million people, who will now all have the right to claim benefits for the foreseeable future. The Brexit Withdrawal Agreement needs revisiting and some fundamental changes made.

"It's time for a British PM who is prepared to roll their sleeves up, march over to Brussels, and actually put the interests of British people first."

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said: "It is now clear the British Government has no grip of who is entering our country, how much it costs the taxpayer, or what percentage of them are receiving benefits.

"I cannot wait for the day when we march into the Home Office and sort out the mess that decades of Conservative and Labour governments have left in their wake."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Britain will always welcome those who come here legally, work hard, and contribute to our economy. Many who came under the EU Settlement Scheme have done exactly that.

"But what's completely unacceptable is the sheer number of legal immigrants who do not contribute. That's why the next Conservative Government will restore control and fairness to migration.

"We will welcome limited high-skilled immigration, but the days of mass low-skilled migration must end. Only those who contribute will be able to stay permanently.

"To keep migration under control, we will introduce a binding annual cap on immigration, voted for by our sovereign Parliament. And we will set that cap at a level that ensures more people leave than arrive, so Britain once again has a system that works for the British people."

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.