Highland Lib Dems demand action over the hundreds of EU nationals still waiting on a decision about being allowed to stay in the UK post-Brexit

Highland Liberal Democrats have demanded action from the UK government as hundreds of EU nationals are still waiting on a decision on whether they are allowed to stay in the country.

The backlog of cases continues to grow while thousands more EU citizens have only been granted temporary permission to stay.

According to the latest EU settlement scheme statistics, there have been more than 10,000 applications from people living in the Highlands who want to stay in the UK post-Brexit.

But new Home Office figures reveal 600 people across the north are still waiting for a decision on their settled status application. Added to that, there are a further 2900 people in the region from EU states who have only been granted temporary pre-settled status.

That means a total of 3500 Highland applicants still do not have the permanent right to stay prompting the Liberal Democrats to call on the UK government to grant them the automatic right to stay.

The party’s candidate for the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Molly Nolan, has warned that not only are too many EU nationals still living under a “cloud of uncertainty,” but that their presence in the north will prove to be an invaluable to the economy as it begins to reopen after the lockdown.

“Far too many EU citizens in the Highlands are still living under a cloud of uncertainty. They must have the right to stay,” Ms Nolan said.

“EU citizens are an integral part of our Highland communities. They are our friends and family, and the Liberal Democrats will always stand up for them.

“We will keep fighting to secure their automatic right to stay, with the physical proof they need. We must not forget the vital contributions that EU citizens make to the Highland economy, which is more fragile than ever after the impact of the pandemic.

“Putting recovery first means allowing everyone who wants to live and work here to do so.”

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