A ‘no deal’ Brexit: how it will affect EU workers in FM

News

With just five months until the UK formally leaves the EU at the end of the transition period, and with talks on agreeing a trade deal between the UK and the EU seemingly making little progress, EU workers living in the UK - and their employers - need to be aware of the implications of a ‘no deal’ Brexit on their right to remain.

In the event of ‘no deal’, the EU Settlement Scheme - under which EU citizens (and those from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) can apply to remain in the UK and secure their existing employment and benefits rights - will close on 31 December 2020. There will be no application extension to 30 June 2021 as under a negotiated deal and the new points-based immigration system will come into effect immediately.

Although the EU Settlement Scheme has now received 3.71 million applications (of which 3.46 million have been concluded), it is highly probable that in a profession which employs significant numbers of EU workers - sometimes up to 34% of the workforce - there are many working in FM who now face a race against time to ensure their right to remain in the UK.

Employers can help their employees to secure their settlement status by sharing information in the Government’s toolkit for employers which supports EU workers through the process, or by assisting those - especially more vulnerable - individuals who may need help with their application.

We have updated our Brexit and immigration toolkit for members. This outlines the key forthcoming changes to immigration rules, and the dates when they come into effect, in both a ‘deal’ and ‘no deal’ scenario.

Brexit webinar: look out for news of our International SIG’s webinar in September, which will examine the implications of the future relationship between the UK and the EU in terms of legislation, people movement and trade.

If you need further information on how Brexit may affect your EU workers, please email: [email protected]