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EU freshmen who enrolled in UK universities this fall, but have been unable to relocate to the country due to the pandemic, face a £ 800 Brexit bill shock if they don’t set foot. on British soil before December 31, activists warned.
The Interior Ministry said they will not qualify for EU pre-settled status if they arrive after the end of the transition period, even though they have not been able to relocate due to Covid.
It potentially means that tens of thousands of students will have to pay £ 348 in application fees for a visa with £ 470 a year in health expenses, both new post-Brexit costs.
Mantas Gudelis, 19, who started a biochemistry degree at the University of Edinburgh in September but is studying at home in Vilnius, Lithuania, said: “The university has told us several times. It is sad for me because it is a huge financial blow. The health surcharge for four years is £ 2,000 and for my family that is a lot of money, especially since one of my parents was laid off due to the pandemic. The system should allow us to come because it is not our fault. “
Luke Piper, attorney and head of policy for campaign group the3million, has raised concerns with the Home Office that many students face these costs and could miss out on the benefits that come with pre-established and established status, such as long-term residency. , labor rights and social benefits.
“It is a really important problem. Many students have paid fees and started their studies abroad, so they are actively studying at British universities. But when we spoke to the government, they said they need to create a clear deadline to end freedom of movement on December 31, ”he said.
“They are students who have not been able to come to the UK for reasons beyond their control. We should be able to make an exception for this cohort. They could easily adapt the EU settlement scheme; otherwise these students will have to pay exorbitant fees to the Home Office and possibly miss other opportunities. “
It could be said that students enrolling in British universities this year have done so under the laws of free movement, which allowed them to collect house fees, so “it does not seem correct that they cannot come to study here with those same rights” Piper added.
An estimated 150,000 students come to the UK from other EU countries and the European Economic Area, according to Universities UK (UUK), which is helping educational institutes mentor their students.
“All universities are working closely with the Home Office to ensure that currently enrolled EU students are aware of the UK requirements for pre-established status, and UUK has issued guidance to universities on the latest changes in immigration rules, “said a spokesman.
One problem for EU students who have not started their education in the UK before the end of the transition period is that they cannot prove their residence with rent receipts, utility bills or bank accounts.
Gudelis and the3million are pushing to find out whether EU students would establish their right to preset status if they came to the UK just days before December 31.
According to the Home Office rules posted on the government website, students only need to provide a document dated from the last six months to be granted pre-settled status, including a “passport stamp that confirming entry at the UK border “or” a travel ticket confirming that you entered the UK from another country. “
In a section entitled “Evidence covering shorter periods of time”, the Home Office states: “These documents count as evidence for a month if they have only one date”, suggesting a short trip to the UK until the eve of Even New Year is enough to demonstrate the rights of free movement.
The Interior Ministry confirmed that this was the case and said that to apply for pre-settled status, “people only need to be here one day before the December 31 deadline. If a person has arrived in the UK on December 31st, they will still be eligible to apply for pre-settled status ”.
He did not give any indication that he would be addressing the exceptional circumstances affecting EU students who arrived after December 31 but had enrolled in classes in 2020.
“We have made it clear that students, like all other EEA and Swiss citizens, must be UK residents by 31 December 2020 to have rights under the Citizens’ Rights Agreements,” said a spokesperson. .
