Thousands of migrants from nations such as India, Pakistan, and Somalia entered the UK last year using the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS), a program originally intended for Europeans residing in Britain post-Brexit.
Key Statistics on 2025 Visas
Official data reveals that 6,709 non-European nationals received EUSS visas in 2025, including 1,124 Indians, 855 Somalis, and 791 Pakistanis. Over the three years ending December 2025, non-Europeans submitted 78,785 applications, with 33,658 approvals. This includes 6,656 Indians, 5,413 Pakistanis, and 3,768 Somalis.
These visas primarily stem from the EUSS Family Permit category, allowing spouses, durable partners, dependent children, or parents of EU citizens in the UK to join indefinitely if the relationship predates Brexit.
Scheme Background and Deadline
The EUSS application deadline for most individuals passed on June 30, 2021. However, family members from any country can still apply by proving pre-Brexit ties to an EU citizen in the UK.
By September 2025, total EUSS applications reached 6.4 million, encompassing 531,000 non-European family members, according to analysis from the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.
Criticisms and Abuse Concerns
A government official described the ongoing influx as concerning, prompting demands for an investigation into potential abuses. Robert Bates, research director at the Centre for Migration Control, stated: “The EUSS has been beset with issues since it first launched and remains a huge driver of long-term migration into Britain. There is a pressing need for a real inquiry into some of the abuse and untoward practices that have proliferated. It has been nearly five years since the deadline for most applications, and it is time the scheme closed for good.”
Documented cases include a Ghanaian woman granted status despite missing her wedding, and an investigation uncovering 365 sham marriages between March 2018 and September 2021 used to extend residency to non-EU partners.
Additionally, Department for Work & Pensions data from February indicates that 9.2% of Universal Credit claimants hold EUSS settled status. Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman, remarked: “This scheme has long been a scam on the British people. It serves as a route for Somalis, Pakistanis, and Indians among others to claim benefits. The government must explain why it remains open five years after closure. Britain spent £15 billion in the last 18 months on Universal Credit for foreign nationals, with the vast majority going to EU Settled Status migrants. Reform is the only party that will terminate it.”
Government Response
The Home Office maintains there is no evidence of abuse by non-European migrants. A spokesman explained: “The terms of the EUSS were set in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, signed under the previous government, legally requiring acceptance of late applications. The government is doing everything possible to reduce net migration.”
Separate schemes have granted nearly 3,500 visas to individuals from 112 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestinian territories, and Nigeria, to support Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion.
