EU citizens offered financial incentives to leave UK

SchrodingersImmigrant · 28/01/2021 11:18

I don't think the scheme is offensive. Obviously we would be added now after the transition.

There are many other things though which Home Office can go fuck themselves for

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 28/01/2021 11:22

No what if people want to go back but can't afford to ? If they want to stay they can apply and their employers should be helping them and checking.
This has been known for a few years all my eu friends applied for things a while ago.

Port1aCastis · 28/01/2021 11:24

The nurses in the hospital where I work are extremely offended

SchrodingersImmigrant · 28/01/2021 11:25

This has been known for a few years all my eu friends applied for things a while ago.

I didn't think it was available to us when it's for people with pending applications or no immigration status here? Learning something new every day

SchrodingersImmigrant · 28/01/2021 11:26

@Port1aCastis

The nurses in the hospital where I work are extremely offended

Why?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 28/01/2021 11:32

Why offensive?

There is no manipulation not force just an extension to those being offered financial support to return to their home country, if they wish to.

It's a helping hand not an insult. And it hasn't been as quiet as that article makes out. A few people here have applied and will return home as soon as allowed. It has made their decision easier to make.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 28/01/2021 11:36

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Why offensive?

There is no manipulation not force just an extension to those being offered financial support to return to their home country, if they wish to.

It's a helping hand not an insult. And it hasn't been as quiet as that article makes out. A few people here have applied and will return home as soon as allowed. It has made their decision easier to make.

I agree. And I had a hissy fit recently over Home office being shitty and quietly changing stuff.

For anyone who wants to know what this is (link is in the article too)
www.gov.uk/return-home-voluntarily

CuriousaboutSamphire · 28/01/2021 11:37

I would think that nurses couldn't be offended as they would already have settled status. It wouldn't apply to them!

But here, with lots of agricultural workers, there has been a lot of discussion about continuing with the settlement paperwork or registering for this and going home.

Tocketytickety · 28/01/2021 11:42

OP, why is it offensive?

From what I got, it's to help those who're already thinking of leaving, not as an incentive to make people (who don't wish to leave) leave. Or did I get it wrong?

luxxlisbon · 28/01/2021 11:43

Why would this be offensive?

SushiSoozie · 28/01/2021 11:46

No. It's been spun that way but its nothing new.

There has been a programme to help people who want to return home for many many years. For failed asylum seekers, economic migrants etc etc...people who want to leave the UK and can't afford to, they may be homeless, or ill or whatever.
The EU has been added because the UK is no longer in the EU. IT's intended for, for example, a Lithuanian man who came to work but is now living rough due to mental health issues or drugs or bad luck.

It's not about trying to get rid of Europeans as a whole. It's actually one of the better things the UK government does, and most EU countries have similar programmes.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 28/01/2021 11:48

I would like an answer from people saying it's offensive, just in case I missed something

contrmary · 28/01/2021 11:54

It's not offensive. It's not like they are forcing them to leave, it's an offer of help to EU citizens who want to return home but perhaps can't afford it. Surely that's positive and generous?

BlackForestCake · 28/01/2021 12:16

Well, I was born here and I'd take £2000 to go and live in the EU, if I still could.

It is offensive and racist if it's a programme to get rid of foreigners.

peak2021 · 28/01/2021 12:23

Can we return anyone to their country of birth then? I'd start with someone born in New York who until a few years ago had dual nationality. Mr Boris Johnson.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 28/01/2021 12:24

Honestly, at this point headlines like this are just shit stirring. It's not incentive, it's a help, it's always been here and it's up to 2k and not everyone can get it.

I do, however, agree with the part in the article talking about lots of people still not having status and that it's a problem. It's will be a shitstorm in June and July. I've seen quite a few people on community groups talking about expired IDs so they can't apply, but they can't fly back and embassies are useless. It does cross my mind sometimes that that's exactly what happens when people leave things like this till last minute though... Everyone had years.

pointythings · 28/01/2021 12:34

I don't think it's offensive (and I'm an EU immigrant with settled status). However, I do think the optics of the timing are very poor, and it feeds into the mostly accurate narrative that the UK doesn't want foreigners here.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 28/01/2021 12:41

The 'optics'?

You mean the wholly unforseeable coincidence of yet another covid lockdown and the long known EU exit?

It was always going to be added around now!

dontdisturbmenow · 28/01/2021 13:26

It is offensive. Considering the economic mess, it certainly isn't a 'we are a nice government who want to help you because we care about our fellow citizen'.

The message is 'we're in the shit economically but you know what, we can do with getting rid of the likes of you, so if we have to find cash to give you so you can bugger off, we'll find it'.

pointythings · 28/01/2021 13:30

Curious are you seriously saying that the current COVID lockdown was 'wholly unforeseeable'?

And if this government had really wanted to help EU nationals who did not yet have settled status, they would have put in a lot more support for all the vulnerable groups out there - the elderly, the SAHMs, the children in care, those with MH issues - all the ones who couldn't easily access the settled status programme. They didn't bother, because they didn't want to bother.

FatCatThinCat · 28/01/2021 13:30

It's offensive because it comes across as 'Here, take the money and fuck off back to where you came from!'.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 28/01/2021 13:33

Yes pointy

When the Brexit diary was set covid didn't exist. So nobody could possibly have known there was going to be any issue extending the resettlement offer to EU citizens that we're still in the system!

Or did you think this was decided last month/week?

SchrodingersImmigrant · 28/01/2021 13:33

I think some of you should look at the link to gov and see who it is for.

Agree with @pointythings there should have been more support with applications for ss

CuriousaboutSamphire · 28/01/2021 13:35

It's odd that the people I've help access the paperwork didn't see it like that at all.

But MNers who possibly didn't know it existed before today, are disgusted on their behalf!

SushiSoozie · 28/01/2021 13:36

It's offensive because it comes across as 'Here, take the money and fuck off back to where you came from!'

So you would prefer if they said "Oh you hate it here and would like to go home but have no money? Well fuck off, because we had a programme to help you but people said it was offensive so we canned it. Go die on a street corner"

Yes, that is less offensive.