In Latvia Yesterday, 17:396 Is Cole right that Great Britain deported 2.6 million citizens of EU countries? Re:Check

Saeima on September 7 in the first reading watched and supported The controversial amendments to the Immigration Law prepared by the Ministry of the Interior. Those foresees the possibility For Russian citizens living in Latvia, the deadline for passing the national language test for obtaining a permanent residence permit should be extended by two years.

Great Britain did not deport EU citizens

Kol was one of the members of the National Union who criticized the amendments. In his argument, he used the example of Great Britain:

“But, colleagues, I will give you practical examples that in the very recent past, one of the former member states of the European Union forcibly deported approximately 2.6 million citizens of the European Union in a very, let’s say, short term. Here I am talking about Great Britain, the United Kingdom.”

Kol republished his speech in the Saeima himselfshe was quoted as saying medium. But Cole is wrong. Great Britain has not expelled them and does not plan to do so in the near future.

After the country’s withdrawal from the EU, the British Ministry of the Interior adopted a regulation that would apply to approximately 2.6 million citizens of EU countries with so-called pre-adjustment or temporary residence (in English pre-settled) status. These are people who lived in the UK before the end of the Brexit transition period in 2020 and who are allowed to stay in the country for a limited time. The regulations of the Ministry of the Interior meant that EU citizens with this status could lose their right to stay in Great Britain if they had not applied for permanent residence within five years of receiving this status (settled) residence status.

However, the organization representing 3 million EU citizens living in Great Britain, the independent ombudsman established by the country to defend the rights of these people, and the European Commission objectedthat the regulation does not comply with Brexit or the EU and Great Britain Withdrawal Agreement. Organization 3 million pointed out, that applying for permanent resident status would not pose any problem for the majority. But it was concerned about how vulnerable groups, such as the homeless, would be able to fulfill this duty.

Last December also in the Premier of England and Wales court after the ombudsman’s application decided, that the regulation of the Ministry of the Interior is illegal. The court recognized that the Ministry of the Interior has thus exposed a very large number of people to an uncertain future, as they will depend on the decision taken by the Ministry. This year in February the ministry announced, that the court’s decision will not be challenged. In the summer, Britain accepted new ruleswhich automatically extends the temporary or pre-settled status for two years, if the person has not applied for the permanent residence status by its expiration date.

Re:Check asked Cole the source of his information. “Yes, I did not express myself correctly,” the deputy admitted in an e-mail correspondence.

The EU deported 77 thousand instead of 130 thousand to third countries

Re:Check concluded that the head of the Saeima’s Foreign Affairs Commission was also incorrect in his statements about the number of people deported by EU countries to third countries last year.

Cole said:

“Let’s look at the official data of the European Union for the year 2022. France forcibly deported 15 thousand to third countries, Germany – 12 thousand, in total more than 130 thousand persons were forcibly deported from the European Union. Well, let’s calculate – an average of 10 thousand per month.”

Eurostat data (here) shows that the number of deportees is significantly lower. In general, EU countries last year issued orders on 422 thousand deportation of citizens of third countries, but only less than 97 thousand were actually deported (including deportation to another EU country). Of the mentioned 97 thousand, 77 thousand were deported to third countries. These data can also be seen in the Eurostat press release published in May this year in the release here. Most people were deported to Albania, Georgia and Syria.

Re:Check asked Cole to clarify this statement as well. He pointed out that the “rounding” was obtained from the news about the fourth quarter of 2022 and the number of people ordered to leave the country during that time. “If we talk about the data on an annual basis, then this number, as also indicated in the link you provided, is actually much higher – 422,400 third-country nationals ordered to leave one of the EU countries, and almost 100,000 returned to their country of origin.” However, 422 thousand, as mentioned, are those for whom a relevant order has been issued, while Kol spoke at the Saeima session about the number of “forcibly” deported. Actually, last year, 77 thousand, not 130 or 422 thousand people were deported to third countries or countries of origin.

It should be noted that Kol was not the only one who misled the requirements of the Immigration Law at the Saeima session. In the first place of the Party of Latvia, MP Ramona Petraviča spoke about the division of society into different groups: “I understand that our society here is divided in different ways: there are those who live in the countryside, who are considered the written off people, and then there are the urban elite, children who study in elite schools, there are the vaccinated and those stupid, unvaccinated ones. But a new category has just emerged: there are those who were born in Soviet times and those who were born in free Latvia. I was born in Soviet times, what should I be ashamed of? What am I guilty of, that I was born in Soviet times? Or do I have to leave this country?”

However, Petraviča is not right. of the Immigration Act the norm on passing the state language test does not discriminate people based on the time or place they were born. We are talking about former Latvian citizens or non-citizens who chose to accept Russian citizenship and who have permanent residence permits in Latvia.

Conclusion: Saeima member and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Rihards Kol, is not right about being deported from Great Britain. It has not deported 2.6 million EU citizens since Brexit took effect. Such a scenario was theoretically possible, but the British court recognized the relevant decision as illegal. The data mentioned by Kol about the number of citizens of third countries forcibly deported from EU countries to third countries are also incorrect.