Thread by @the3million

1/ @ukcen_admin are right. Settled Status has become law and will be with us whether there is a deal or no deal with the EU. This is good news as their is now a provision for a legal status post Brexit whatever happens. But...
ukcen.co.uk/settled-status…

2/ it will be not settled status as promised. Without a deal you might also call it Settled Status light. Or Settled Status in name only (SSINO). Yes, EU citizens can apply for a status that will allow them to stay, work and access social security (eg. NHS) as before but...

3/ all bilateral elements of Settled Status will fall away without a deal. This includes coordination of pensions, disability allowances and other benefits that are currently coordinated & paid cross border. And...

4/not only does Settled Status under a no deal provide fewer rights but the status is very poorly protected. It is written into the immigration rules as an appendix. As easily & under stealth these rules were introduced yesterday they can also be amended and removed in the future

5/ there will be no parliamentary Act that defines the basic principles that could be challenged in court should this or any future government decide to change the rules. No supervisory body holding the UK Govt to account.

6/ lastly, Settled Status requires application, it is not just given. The legal status of those who have not successfully applied yet after March 2019 in case of no deal is extremely weak. For 3.6m EU citizens the Govt must process 5-6k applications per day for 2 1/2 years.

7/ the status of EU citizens in a no deal Brexit rests solely on EU law to continue in the UK as now covered by the Withdrawal Act 2018 until they have Settled Status. Hoping that ministers do not change any of the regulations for the duration of Settled Status application system

8/ Currently, Settled Status application period is until June 2021. From Brexit day that would mean 27 months of trusting UK Govt(s) not to change any regulations (incl. the rules on Settled Status announced this week) in a way that would change EU citizens' status & rights

9/ the latest rules and the weak protection from the UK Withdrawal Act 2018 can take some of the anxieties but we wouldn't go as far as saying that it reassures EU citizens. But we guess after almost 760 days #inLimbo even something like this could be interpreted as reassuring

10/ Settled Status is far away from what was promised by Vote Leave during the referendum: "EU citizens will automatically be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK and will be treated no less favourably than they are at present." and even further at no deal scenario /end

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