That would be just. It was, after all, only after most had arrived that the Brexit vote pulled the welcome mat from under them. It would also be enlightened self-interest. An accommodating approach towards Europeans will encourage the same attitude towards Britons who want to settle elsewhere in the bloc, and build trust in future talks on such tricky matters as trade and the status of Northern Ireland.
Moreover, these newly settled Europeans have many qualities that are appealing in potential citizens. They are young: just 2% are over 65, compared with 19% of natives. Those who came to study and decided to stay are well-equipped for the local job market. Far from being a burden on the National Health Service, as alleged during the Brexit campaign, many are health-care workers who help prop it up. They use public services on average less than the locals do, and are more likely to be net contributors to the public purse. Many of those from ex-communist eastern Europe are bootstrap capitalists, keen on hard work and grateful to Britain for admitting them straight after their countries joined, unlike nearly every other country in the bloc.
To reap this windfall, Britain’s government needs to be flexible and generous. Already, there is a trickle of stories about applications for settled status failing because of minor administrative errors, or of citizenship denied because of a little-known requirement for some EU migrants to arrange private health insurance. Rather than nit-picking, the Home Office should take a sympathetic approach. It should also slash the application fee for adult citizenship, which at £1,330 ($1,840), is out of line with other countries and prohibitive for people on ordinary salaries or with large families.
With settled status, the 5m will be able to study, work and pay taxes. But as citizens, they and their children would play a fuller part in Britain’s civic life by voting, standing for election and putting down roots. Over time, they would change their adopted country for the better. After a drawn-out divorce that left many European migrants feeling bruised and belittled, Britain is fortunate that so many want to stay. They are a prize to be seized, not an obstacle to be negotiated.
