As the UK prepares to leave the European Union many higher education institutions are showing their commitment to staff by confirming they will pay the settlement fees of all EU employees wanting to stay in the UK after Brexit. In a letter to the University of London’s director of HR services, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain call for the university to follow suit.   

Dear Simon

I am writing with regard to the EU Settlement Scheme to suggest a concrete way in which the University of London can assist EU staff covered by this process.

The information produced by HR and particularly the December immigration lawyer session have been extremely useful, and obviously we hope that this approach continues.

However, it remains the case that participation in the scheme will cost each employee £65, and I am writing to formally request that the university undertake to pay this expense on behalf of affected staff.

This would be along the lines of commitments made by other universities:

http://www.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/oxford-and-brexit/settlement-fees

https://www.strath.ac.uk/hr/eureferendumoutcome-informationforstaff/

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/staff/brexit/eu-settlement-pilot/

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/brexit/support-ucl-community/faqs-eu-staff

https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/eu/advice/eu-settlement-scheme

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/hr/immigration/eusettlementscheme/eusettlementschemepilot/

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/hr/services/settled-status/settled-status.page

https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/eu/eu-international/eu-settlement-scheme/

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/hr/policiesprocedures/eu-information-for-staff-brexit/

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/eu/infostaffeueea/settledstatus/

This will help show our EU colleagues that the university takes seriously the stressful and uncertain situation they have been placed in and is prepared to materially support them in this. The university will also benefit in terms of retaining staff who feel themselves to be valued and welcome.

Many thanks for your assistance with this.

Best wishes

Danny

Danny Millum
Branch Secretary
University of London IWGB