Fewer than one in five European Union citizens living in Wales have applied for settled status, with the 海角视频 Government still determined to exit the EU on October 31st deal or no deal.
Between 28 August 2018 - when the scheme started - and 30 June 2019, there were 13,720 applications for settled status, latest Home Office figures reveal.
This equates to 17.2% of the 80,000 EU citizens living in Wales.
Settled status allows EU citizens living in the 海角视频 to stay after Brexit. If EU citizens have been living here for more than five years, they are entitled to settled status. If not, they will get the pre-settled status.
With pre-settled status, they can stay for the five-year period needed to get the settled status.
The deadlines for applying are December 2020, if the 海角视频 leaves the EU without a deal, or June 2021, if there is a deal.
After the deadline, EU citizens without either settled or pre-settled status will be illegally staying in the 海角视频 and could face deportation.
Irish citizens, people with indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain in the 海角视频 status, and those with a British passport don’t have to apply.
Most Read
In Bridgend, the equivalent of 37.% of EU nationals living there have applied, the highest proportion locally, with 370 applications.
Powys followed at 33% of its EU population, while Pembrokeshire saw the third highest proportion at 28%
Caerphilly saw the lowest proportion applying - at 8.5% of EU nationals - with 340 applications.
海角视频-wide there were 907,020 applications for settled status made between August 2018 and June 2019. This means that only 24.9% of the 3.6m EU citizens living in the 海角视频 have so far applied.
When EU citizens apply, they need to provide their National Insurance number and have an Android mobile that can scan the chip in their passport.
The Home Office will first check for how long EU citizens have used their National Insurance number. People can also add up to 10 documents to prove how long they have been living in the 海角视频.
Maike Bohn, co-founder of the3Million, an EU citizen campaign group, said: “The 海角视频 has never registered EU citizens in the past and now needs to process a very large, unknown number of citizens in a very short time.
Don’t miss
“Those who miss the deadline face a ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy that can lead to detention and deportation. EU citizens who were promised automatic guarantee of their rights are now facing a ticking time bomb.
"The only way to avoid a ‘Windrush on steroids’ is to have their legal status guaranteed automatically and to turn the application into a registration.”
According to the3million group, it has already been stated that in no-deal, certain rights will be removed from EU citizens and their families.
The appeal rights under the Settlement Scheme and family reunion rights will be removed after March 2022.
EU citizens in the 海角视频 are demanding physical proof of their pre-settled or settled status, with a petition launched saying the digital-only status feels vulnerable, and ‘on loan’ from the government.
The Government 海角视频 said: “The EU Settlement Scheme protects the rights of EU citizens in 海角视频 law and gives them a secure digital status, which unlike a physical document, cannot be lost, stolen, damaged or tampered with.''