UK Government urges EU to provide better data on UK citizens living in bloc

The EU Withdrawal Agreement protects the rights of UK citizens resident in the EU before the end of December 2020, and vice versa.

In the UK, the Government established the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) to keep track of how citizens rights obligations were being adhered to, while the EU Commission carries out the same role on the mainland.

Mr Docherty told the Commons that the overall picture on citizens’ rights over the first two years since Brexit officially took place had been a “very positive one”, with only a small number of issues for citizens.

He claimed that of the 5.7 million EU citizens living in the UK, the IMA received 237 complaints in 2021, and 209 in 2022.

But Mr Docherty added: “While we are pleased that the annual reports by the commission provides some statistics on UK nationals’ residents applications in most member states, we do continue to call for comprehensive data on residents from every member state.

“It is not acceptable that there is data missing from certain states, particularly when contrasted with our own extensive data on the EU settlement scheme which we publish on a quarterly basis, and we also urge the commission to provide further details on how complaints by UK nationals were handled and how the complaints procedure is advertised to UK nationals in the EU.”

He later added: “We are neighbours, partners and friends to the EU Commission and to the member states, and that warm tone and that collaborative working dictates everything we do in terms of citizens’ rights and beyond.”

Shadow Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty also questioned whether the EU’s data was “fit for purpose”.

“Indeed, there is inconsistency when it comes to data being provided by individual countries and it is incomplete and variable,” he added.

Speaking for the SNP, Brendan O’Hara said he was pleased the UK and EU “appear to be working constructively” to uphold the obligations in the Withdrawal Agreement.

But he added: “The situation remains far from ideal for many, including EU citizens living in the UK.”

He said: “Six million EU citizens in the UK have digital-only immigration status. And given the long experience of the Home Office having a less-than-perfect track record of file maintenance, will the Government now do something about providing EU citizens with a physical back-up confirming that immigration status?”