Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned an Italian mum of two who has lived in Scotland for more than five years that she could be War hero wins battle to live in UK but told his three children must stay in Afghanistan after Brexit.
Nursery worker Corinna Sala moved to Hamilton with her surveyor husband Richard in 2013. Her daughter was born here.
But after applying to remain in the country through the Home Office’s Settled Status scheme after the UK leaves the EU, she was informed that only “limited leave” had been granted.
A letter, sent on behalf of Javid, states: “You have been granted pre-settled status and can remain in the UK for five years from the date of this letter.
“You may be eligible for settled status in due course.
“If you believe that you qualify for settled status already, you can make another application.”
It goes on to warn: “Your pre-settled status will expire on April 23, 2024.”
Corinna, whose five-year-old son John was born in Italy and two-year-old daughter Brunella was born in Scotland, said: “My husband is Scottish and I moved here in December 2013.
Scots living abroad could have problems bringing family back after Brexit
“I got my National Insurance number the following January. I started to work in August 2015.
“The Home Office didn’t tell me why I hadn’t been given full settled status. I assume that it is something to do with the amount of time I have been working or paying tax.
“It was not a nice tone that the letter took. It did not feel very welcoming, given that this is my home. Now I wish I hadn’t made the application in the first place.
“I know it is an exaggerated comparison but when the Nazis came to power in Germany, they took a census. It feels like a similar kind of thing, like they are trying to find out where everyone is.
“I do worry about Brexit now and where we are going with it. I don’t think we are moving in a good direction.”
A Home Office spokeswoman insisted that Corinna had ticked the wrong box on a form.
She said: “The applicant was granted pre-settled status because this is what she applied for. If this was a mistake, she can contact the Settlement Resolution Centre for advice on applying for settled status.”
Meanwhile, campaigners have warned that domestic abuse victims are among 40,000 Europeans who could be in danger of being wrongfully deported from Scotland after Brexit.
EU citizens have been told to apply for “settled status” if they want to continue living in the UK.
But it is believed that thousands of people could lack the documentation, skills and information to successfully complete the process.
There are fears children in care, the elderly and women escaping violent partners could be among the groups worst affected.
Dorota Peszkowska, of the EU Citizens’ Rights Project in Edinburgh, said: “There are currently over 200,000 EU citizens living in Scotland.
“According to some estimates, 10 to 20 per cent, or more, may be considered vulnerable and in need of additional help in order to apply for settled status.
“People have at least till December 2020 to apply and it’s important to raise awareness that, deal or no deal, the scheme is already open.
“Victims of domestic abuse are one of the groups we are worried about because they will often find it difficult to provide documentation of their life in the UK.
“Children in care could also be affected along with elderly people who perhaps are unaware that they need to go through this process.”
Support worker Magda Czarnecka, whose charity Feniks helps eastern Europeans living in Scotland, said Brexit had created “considerable anxiety” for many people.
She added: “The Home Office has identified a number of groups at risk of not applying for the EU settlement scheme.”
Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s department was criticised in December for issuing a warning implying failure to make an application to remain in Britain could result in deportation.
A tweet from the Home Office’s official account said: “EU citizens and their families will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 31 December 2020.”
War hero wins battle to live in UK but told his three children must stay in Afghanistan
The department has been mired in controversy since the Windrush “hostile environment” scandal that saw many immigrants from the Caribbean who had lived in the UK since childhood threatened with deportation.
The settled status programme was rolled out in March to allow EU, EEA or Swiss citizens and their families, who have been living in the UK for five years, to apply to stay.
Adults have to pay a £65 fee while the cost for a child under the age of 16 is £32.50.
The Scottish Government has promised to pay for people in devolved services but the UK Government won’t let them cover the cost up front.
Javid agreed in April to give £9million of funding to 57 organisations across the country to help “at risk groups” apply.
His department has said 400,000 people have already begun the settled status process.
The Government has already been forced to make changes to the scheme to enable “more proportionate and fairer decision making” following a legal challenge.
