“It took 2 hours and one third didn’t get through”: Piloting the settled status application with Roma migrants

By Marie Godin and Mihai Calin Bica*

Since the Brexit referendum that took place on 23 June 2016, the Roma Support Group^[1], a community organisation working with Roma people in the UK, has been active in informing community members about their rights. In addition, the organisation has been involved in campaigning towards local, regional and national policy makers in order to raise awareness about the specific vulnerabilities of the Roma population and their future migration status. In that respect, it coordinated a special joint roundtable of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Migration and All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, which was held in July 2018^[2] so Roma’s people concerns could be heard. Following that encounter, the Home Office invited the Roma Support Group to take part in monthly vulnerable user group meetings^[3] in relation to the EU Exit Settlement Scheme^[4].. As part…