PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Immigration: EU Nationals (29 June 2021)

The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’.

The latest published information shows the total number of applications to the EUSS was 6.02 million up to 30 June 2021, of which 5.45 million had been concluded.

Published EUSS figures refer specifically to applications made to the EUSS and cannot be directly compared with estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA nationals not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in estimates of the resident EU/EEA population.

Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a blog on 2 July 2021, further discussing the differences and their plans for future population estimates:

Are there really 6m EU citizens living in the UK? | National Statistical (ons.gov.uk)

ONS are currently transforming their population and migration statistics to put administrative data at the core of what they do. The latest information on their work programme and longer term plans to transform migration and population statistics was published on 16 April 2021:

Population and migration statistics system transformation – overview - Office for National Statistics