Brexit: EU settled status scheme hit by technical problems on day of launch

'They knew this day was coming ... Why was it not prepared properly?' asks one EU national

The government’s flagship EU Settlement Scheme has been hit by technical problems on the day of its launch.

EU nationals vented their frustration on social media, saying they had logged in to the app or visited the website only to be confronted with an error message, or for the page not to load at all.

The scheme, which opened on 21 January but was fully rolled out on Saturday (30 March), is designed by the government to grant post-Brexit residency to EU citizens and their family members, who will have until 30 June 2021 to apply.

It requires applicants to prove their identity by using a mobile app, which is part of an integrated online application process.

The Home Office spokesperson said the scheme was live and performing well on Saturday morning, and that it had received thousands of applications so far.

But dozens of EU citizens living in the UK reported that, while they had been able to start the application process through the app, they were then redirected to an error page stating that there was a problem with the service.

Pilar Gómez, 31, a Spanish national who has been living in Bristol for seven years, described her first attempt to apply for settled status as a big fail.

“After a while taking pics, waiting in queues and giving details, everything ends up in a nice blow up saying ‘BETA: This service is currently in development’. Oh joy,” she said.

Another EU national tweeted: “I’ve tried via mobile app, my laptop and I even thought I’ll do the postal option to see if I can do it that way and I get an error message for that too.

“They knew this day was coming and the influx. Why was it not prepared properly? Bit like Brexit then.”

The Settlement Scheme has already been criticised as campaigners warned that, with so many people to register, tens of thousands of EU nationals would fall thought the net and become undocumented migrants.

Charities said that while the scheme might work for those who were aware of it, efforts to inform harder to reach people such as the elderly, those who did not speak English and those who were being exploited were inadequate.

The scheme was also criticised for the fact that the mobile app developed to allow EU nationals to register did not work on iPhones, only on Android phones.

The Home Office spokesperson said: “There is plenty of time for EU citizens to make an application and there is extra support available for those who need it, including through our Settlement Resolution Centre.”