Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2019 to Question 213222 on Immigration: EU Nationals, what the differences are between the rights retained by Irish citizens under the (a) EU Settlement Scheme and (b) Common Travel Area.

Irish citizens have long-held a status in the UK that, like EU Treaty rights, allows them to live, work, study and access benefits and services without being subject to a requirement to obtain leave to enter or remain. This status will not be affected by the UK leaving the EU. Irish citizens resident in the UK can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they choose, though they are not required to given that the relevant rights are protected under the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements.

The arrangements for existing close family members, who are not Irish citizens or British citizens, to remain in the UK with, or join, EU citizens resident in the UK in the future are not provided for by the CTA arrangements but under the draft Withdrawal Agreement. Irish citizens will be able to support an application from family members without applying to the EU Settlement Scheme themselves.