Author Archive
A glitch or a feature? Systemic problems with digital proof of immigration status
Digital technology plays a central role in the ongoing reform of British borders after Brexit, and the 2019 launch of the EU Settlement Scheme was a pivotal moment in this transformation. The EUSS introduced an online-by-default process to apply for i ...
31st July 2023Government hiding key Settlement Scheme data, inspection report suggests
The Home Office has been concealing important data about the EU Settlement Scheme, an independent inspection report suggests. While the department refuses to release the number of “disguised refusals”, or to disclose gender breakdowns rele ...
28th February 2020Home Office admits double counting in the EU settlement statistics
The Home Office has confirmed that it counts repeat applications to the EU Settlement Scheme as new applications, as first revealed last week on Free Movement. It appears that thousands of repeat applications from EU citizens already granted pre-settl ...
28th October 2019Do the EU Settlement Scheme statistics add up?
The Home Office released a new set of EU Settlement Scheme statistics in early October. While this update again showed a rise in applications to the scheme, it also suggests re-applications to it are counted towards the total. This raises questions ov ...
21st October 2019The good, the bad, and the hard truth buried in EU Settlement Scheme stats: analysis
A few weeks ago I analysed EU Settlement Scheme stats released in August. I argued that the Scheme is not working as well as the Government claims it is. While it might be performing well from the point of view of its administrators at the Home O ...
13th September 2019