The British Home Office said Friday that it had approved 5.1 million of the more than six million residence applications submitted by Europeans following Brexit.
The British government had promised EU citizens that they would retain the same rights to live, work and receive social benefits in the UK after Brexit, provided they resided before December 31, 2020, and registered through the EU Settlement Scheme before June 30. 2021.
A total of 6.02 million applications were submitted before the deadline - the vast majority of them in England - including more than 400,000 in June alone. According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior, about 5.1 million applications were approved.
Residents of less than five years were granted temporary status, which allows them to apply for permanent status once the five-year residency threshold is reached.
"The filing of more than 6 million applications under this program is an unprecedented success, and I am delighted that we have secured the rights of so many European citizens - our friends, neighbors and relatives," Justice Minister Priti Patel said in a statement.
The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the rights of people who are still waiting for the decision - about 570,000 - will remain protected until the requests are decided, and that the study of less complicated cases will be completed in the coming days.
The United Kingdom left the European Union in early 2020, then withdrew from the European single market and customs union after a one-year transition period, which put an end to the free movement of people.
