Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled, Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017, what plans he has in respect of the (a) residence and (b) acquired EU rights of non-UK EU nationals who have previously lived in the UK but are no longer resident in the UK.

Those who have been living in the UK for five years before the specified date and want to continue to make the UK their home will be able to apply for settled status to stay indefinitely after we exit.

As is the case for those holding permanent residence status under EU law, those who have already lived in the UK for over five years but were not present at the time of the specified date will still be eligible for settled status if that absence was less than two consecutive years.