More than half a million people, including more than 70,000 children, have not been granted the right to carry on living in the UK permanently after Brexit, official figures suggest.
Around 1.8 million people had applied to the EU Settlement Status up until the end of September, and just under one million were granted settled status according to data released by the Home Office.
More than 500,000 people – including at least 70,000 children – will not be allowed to stay in the UK.
Only just under one million people were granted ‘settled status’, which gives them “full permanent permission to live and work in the UK when freedom of movement ends”, the PA reports.
Ministers insist the scheme is working and is on schedule, despite concerns from campaigners that another estimated two million people are yet to apply and not everyone is receiving the status they are entitled to.
In full, 1,860,190 applications were sent to central government and 1,524,510 were concluded by September 30 with only 929,580 people granted settled status, a figure of 61%.
Of the remaining 594,930, most were handed pre-settled status (586,710) which gives them temporary leave to remain. Once they have lived in the UK for five years they may be able to re-apply for settled status.
According to the Home Office, only two applications have been refused but data tables did not disclose any exact figures, saying they could not be provided for “sensitivity reasons” as “the figures are low and would risk individuals being identified”.
Explanatory notes on the data indicated the number was between one and nine.
Thousands of other applications have been unsuccessful, the figures suggested, with 7,960 being withdrawn or considered void and 260 deemed invalid.
Some 14% of all applications (254,810) were from children.
Of the 187,280 applications from those under the age of 18 that were concluded by the end of September, the figures indicated that 116,890 were granted settled status. There were 69,750 granted pre-settled status, 630 applications were withdrawn or void, and 10 deemed invalid.
Analysis by the PA news agency says this suggests some 70,390 children have applied but not been granted settled status.
The numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 so may not be exact, the data report noted.
Some 92% of the applications were made by people already living in England, 5% in Scotland, 2% in Wales and 2% in Northern Ireland.
The report said: “Polish and Romanian nationals were consistently among the highest application numbers made from the within the UK.”
Last month, the Home Office said those with “reasonable grounds” for missing the December 2020 deadline to apply would be granted an extension.
A previous version of this article claimed “at least 70,000 children would not be allowed to stay in the UK after Brexit”. It has been updated at the Home Office’s request to indicate that only 70,390 children will not be granted a permanent right to stay.
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