Fears for EU citizens who miss UK’s settled status deadline

Europeans seeking indefinite leave to remain in the UK must apply by midnight on Wednesday or risk losing rights.

European Union citizens living in the United Kingdom have just hours left to apply for post-Brexit settled status or face losing their rights. The UK’s so-called settlement scheme for EU and European Economic Area (EEA) citizens, which opened in early 2019, closes at midnight on Wednesday. From Thursday, EU citizens who have not applied could end up formally losing their legal right to work, rent housing and access some hospital treatments or welfare benefits in the UK.