UK law firms facing flood of citizenship applications from EU migrants

UK law firms are being flooded by citizenship applications from EU migrants who fear for their status in the event of Brexit, The Brief reports.

The number of applications rose by around 25 per cent in the last half of 2015.

Figures released after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Times show the number of EU migrants applying for citizenship rose from 4,179 in Q3 2015 to 5,245 in Q4 2015.

Kathryn Bradbury, partner at Payne Hicks Beach, said: “The firm has seen a significant number of enquiries from EU citizens living in the UK over the last couple of months or so. There is a general disquiet over the uncertainty of the situation - and some people are worried that they would have to leave the UK if the referendum vote went in favour of Brexit.

“However, we try to reassure them that such an outcome is highly unlikely - that the government would create some sort of transition process for EU citizens who have been living and working in the UK for a certain amount of time. But nonetheless many of them just want to be absolutely sure.”

Philip Barth, head of immigration at Withers, added: “There has been a significant and noticeable increase in the number of enquiries regarding British citizenship from EU nationals. In our experience, most have come from French and Italians, but also several Germans and Greeks.

“Most of these people have been living and working in the UK for 10 years or longer. But because of the EU treaty provisions allowing free movement, they have never before considered formalising their residency status or becoming British.”