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EU nationals are often barred from homelessness benefits unless they have a job – a hostile environment policy that charities are effectively enforcing
Long before Brexit, the government began to restrict access to a social safety net for EU nationals living and working in the UK. As the tragic story of Gyula Remes shows, the plight of EU citizens who sleep rough today offers a chilling illustration of how far this policy has progressed. As with Theresa May’s “hostile environment”, what is disturbing is the extent to which a highly politicised agenda has permeated every capillary and access point of the welfare state and civil society.
The rights of EU nationals to reside in the UK are governed by the Citizens’ Rights Directive (2004), also known as the Free Movement Directive. However, “free movement” in this context is nowhere near as simple as it sounds. To reside in the UK lawfully beyond 90 days, EU nationals must be working or economically self-sufficient. Fail to fulfil either of these conditions and they are liable to be removed from the country. EU nationals are also prohibited from becoming an “unreasonable burden” on the social assistance system of the UK. Continue reading...