We know there are people who have not yet applied to the scheme, and there are a number of reasons which we believe are contributing to this: some EU citizens may have come to live in the UK many years ago and do not realise that they need to apply; some may have had children whilst living here and are not aware that applications must be made for each family member. Others face digital barriers and issues to obtain the correct documentation and we are aware that some are simply overwhelmed by the process. In addition to this, I also remain deeply concerned about the number of vulnerable citizens in Wales who may not yet have applied.

Unfortunately, we still don't know the scale of the challenge that remains, as it is not possible to accurately calculate the number of EU citizens in Wales who haven’t applied. This is because the UK Government does not know exactly how many EU citizens are eligible to apply. It was initially anticipated that there were approximately 70,000 EU/EEA eligible citizens living in Wales, but more recent estimates by local authorities in Wales suggest that there may be approximately 95,000 eligible EU citizens. Despite the uncertainty, the Welsh Government continues to provide a wide range of support in the hope that as many EU citizens as possible can gain settled status. 

The Welsh Government has provided support to EU citizens since 2019, and we have committed funding into this financial year to recognise the scale of the challenge that remains. The continued support has enabled the extension of the EU citizens immigration advice services beyond the EUSS deadline, as well as the extension of the specialist advice services being provided by Newfields law firm, Citizens Advice Cymru and third sector organisation Settled. In addition to this direct support, the Welsh Government has a detailed and targeted communication plan for EUSS and we'll continue to work with our partners over coming weeks to communicate key messages and raise awareness via social media, the EUSS Wales coordination group, local radio, news articles and Welsh Government press notices. And we continue to engage with local health boards, local authorities, consulates, privately owned care homes, the older people’s commissioner, the children’s commissioner and a number of specialised third sector organisations to target vulnerable groups and ensure that where an individual may not be able to submit an application their representative or guardian has the support to do so on their behalf. 

But, our focus is not just the EUSS deadline, it’s also how we support our EU citizens post 30 June. We anticipate there will be a need for continued support, as a consequence of late applications made in line with the UK Government’s updated caseworker guidance, and we anticipate there will be appeals, all of which will need our continued support. But looking beyond the process support, the Welsh Government and the Welsh public sector has ongoing statutory as well as a moral obligation to ensure that EU citizens' rights are protected and continue to be upheld. Obligations we must all play our part in, and where the UK immigration rules prevent certain support being made available to those who have not yet secured settled status, we are working with our local authorities to make sure we all operate with compassion and knowledge about what support can be put in place. Over coming months, the Welsh Government will be developing no recourse to public funds guidance for local authorities, which will be published later this year.

We must all work together to ensure that EU citizens are treated fairly and enjoy the same rights as they have previously. Over coming weeks and months, the Welsh Government will be working with partners to raise awareness of EU citizens' rights, and has already trained 350 front-line local authority staff on migrant rights and entitlements to services. In due course, additional information for EU citizens about their rights and entitlements to services in Wales will be available via the Welsh Government’s Sanctuary website.

I hope that all Senedd Members will support the Welsh Government’s efforts to ensure all eligible EU citizens who need to apply for settled status have adequate opportunity to do so, that they continue to be treated fairly and have access to the same entitlements they enjoyed when we remained in the European Union.