All EU, European Economic Area or Swiss citizens who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 are required by the UK Government to apply to the EU settlement scheme by Wednesday 30 June 2021, to secure their status to continue to live and work here. This is not a position I wanted our EU citizens to find themselves in. The Welsh Government has long advocated and called on the UK Government to extend the deadline and to at least consider the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and I have recently written to Kevin Foster MP on this issue.

However, I am thankful that, following repeated calls from Welsh Ministers, on 1 April, the UK Government did update its EUSS caseworker guidance to make provisions for more complex applications and to give caseworkers the discretion to accept late applications on reasonable grounds. However, and as much as I welcome this sign of flexibility, I do not feel the allowances go far enough and I will continue to urge the UK Government to show maximum flexibility post June 2021. Alongside this, it is important that we collectively focus energies on ensuring that EU citizens are aware of the scheme, are aware of the deadline, and have the best support possible to make an application.

Deputy Llywydd, I am pleased to report we are making progress. The most recent quarterly statistics published by the Home Office on 27 May 2021 show that the number of Welsh applications being made to the scheme and the number of individuals subsequently securing settled or pre-settled status continues to increase. To date, a total of 87,960 applications have been made by EU citizens resident in Wales, and, of those applications, 58 per cent of individuals have secured settled status and 40 per cent have secured pre-settled status. But concerns remain for those 40 per cent of applicants who have secured pre-settled status and will still need to apply for settled status when they become eligible.