Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay is urging Maltese people living in the UK to have their paperwork in order ahead of the October 31 deadline. He made the statement during a visit to Malta on Tuesday before a meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

The paperwork he is referring to is the EU Settlement Scheme. The document will allow EU, EEA or Swiss citizens to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. According to the British government’s official website: “If your application is successful, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status.” 

“The rights of all EU citizens – including the 31,000 Maltese in the UK - are guaranteed,” he told Times of Malta during an interview at the residence of the British High Commissioner in Naxxar.

“Any EU citizen living in the UK will have their rights when it comes to healthcare, driving licenses being recognised and so forth, but it is important that they register on the Settlement Scheme. It’s free of charge. Replies come within one to four days. 1.5 million people have already applied under the scheme. But for those who haven’t among the Maltese community, I would urge them to register.”

However, some people are already reporting issues with using the UK’s Home Office App as well as getting through to the helpline. 

How does the Settlement Scheme work?

The new immigration status will affect around 3.4 million EU nationals living in Britain after Brexit - although some reports say it could be as high as four million people. In theory, anyone who has lived in the UK continuously for five years should be able to get settled status easily, while those who have been in the UK for less than five years will be granted “pre-settled” status. This requires them to reapply for permanent status once they have clocked up enough years of continuous residence. After the deadline, those who have failed to apply will gradually be transformed from legal residents into undocumented migrants.

UK Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay shakes hands with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Tuesday. Photo: DOI/Clodagh Farrugia O'Neill

Reuben Vassallo, who works in marketing for a financial services company in London, is among the Maltese who have already registered on the Settlement Scheme. 

"I was one of the lucky ones as I sent in my application as soon as I heard about it," he said.

"I also had an Android phone which worked in my favour, as I know the app didn’t seem to work on an iPhone at that time. I applied on a Tuesday evening and had my settled status by Thursday.”

Whirlwind tour

With just 23 days to go until the Brexit deadline, Mr Barclay is on a whistle-stop tour of Europe to meet with leaders and sound them out ahead of a crucial EU summit on October 17-18.

“I was in the Netherlands on Monday, I am in Malta today and I expect to be in Brussels before very long,” Mr Barclay said.

“Today’s meeting is an opportunity for me to update him (Dr Muscat) on what has been happening within the UK Parliament. For example, some who previously were concerned and didn’t support a deal, are now supporting a deal. I want to give him a flavour of what is happening in London and answer any questions around the specifics of the British Prime Minister’s proposal particularly around customs checks surrounding the Northern Irish border.” 

Backstop concerns

On the issue of the Irish border, he said there needed to be a proposal to replace the backstop, which aims to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic or Ireland, that he describes as a "unicorn" that has been rejected by the UK Parliament.

“What I mean by that, is because it has been rejected three times, presenting it a fourth time is not going to be deliverable. We need a deal that both Parliaments will ratify."

"That’s the way we can move forward into what we can be focusing on, which is our future economic partnership. We think each of the 27 voices around the EU Council table are important and we have a very strong bilateral relationship with Malta that goes back not just over decades but over centuries. We are hugely appreciative with the stance that Malta’s Prime Minister taken in terms of our citizens here.”

The face of Britain 

When asked if he feels the UK's reputation has been damaged by Brexit, Mr Barclay said: "I think that if we were seen to be a country that picked and chose which democratic decisions we honoured, it would send a very damaging message."

"We had the biggest vote in our country’s history in 2016. I think for politicians to then ignore that vote, would send a very damaging message, not just to voters in the UK in terms of their trust in our politics, but also to our international reputation, because I think the UK has always been seen around the world, as a country that respects democracy."