A SCOTS MP has made an International Women’s Day plea to the Home Office for an urgent fix to Brexit papers for Europeans in the UK.
There are serious concerns that paperwork issued to married women could cause them problems at work and with banking, after many were issued bearing their maiden names instead because of the way the system reads their passports.
Some successful applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) who are living under married names have been left with Home Office documentation that doesn’t match up to their personal details.
Passports from many EU countries list both the maiden and married name for married women. But only the former shows up in the “machine-readable” zone of the applicant’s passport, meaning the files are not issued in the name they currently use.
There are fears this could cause complications when proving identity or length of residency – leading to barriers when applying for jobs, renting, setting up bank accounts or applying for social security.
Angela Crawley MP is asking the Home Office to “right this wrong” today on International Women’s Day.
The push follows several previous attempts by Crawley to highlight and address the problem.
The Lanark and Hamilton East MP, who is the SNP’s shadow attorney general, said: “The UK is legally bound to ensure equality in all laws and policies but right now the EU settlement scheme – in its current form – is actively discriminating against women. That is why on International Women’s Day I am calling on the UK Government to right this wrong.
“When one of my French constituents requested a name change to her EUSS documentation, she was told this could not be carried out and that she should approach the French authorities to amend her passport.
“Due to the expense and hassle involved, I do not accept that this is a suitable solution to an issue created by the Home Office.
“Priti Patel must fix the issue either by fixing the system or, better yet, automatically extending the rights of EU nationals in the UK to make good on her government’s promise that their rights would not be impacted by Brexit.
“EU citizens – who have made their home here in the UK, contributed to society and helped to tackle the coronavirus crisis – have already been stopped at the border, refused social security and encouraged to leave. The Home Office must not add to this list.”
French-born Jenny Condie, who works in education, is amongst those affected. After 13 years of marriage to a British citizen in Scotland, she says “no-one” knows her by her maiden name.
She told The National many friends have also been hit by the bureaucratic bungle, saying: “I changed my name through the legal system here. We have a marriage certificate to show it. It’s utterly ridiculous.
“We have to present documentation if we want to change jobs or bank accounts or anything like that. There will come a point where we have to prove that we have got a right to live and work in the UK.
“In Germany, in Italy, in France, passports are the same way. It’s only in Britain that you lose your maiden name. This is culturally insensitive. The whole system is belittling. The Home Office is out of touch.”
The Home Office was approached for comment.
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