Key themes discussed with the APPG
The IMA recently met with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Citizens’ Rights (APPG), a cross-party group of MPs and Lords, to discuss the challenges that EU nationals and their families face around accessing their rights.
The meeting was also attended by a number of other organisations focused on protecting the rights of citizens. This made it an excellent opportunity to share insights into the current challenges being faced.
Three key themes came through in the discussions:
Issues with accessing EUSS status
Discussions showed that technical issues with the digital nature of EUSS was a concern for citizens, with reports of people being unable to access evidence of their status or instances where their status was incorrect. Concerns were also raised about a lack of data around this issue making it difficult to assess the true scale of the problem.
The IMA recently carried out a survey which highlighted that for some, the digital nature of their EUSS status had impacted their trust in public bodies.
People with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), without an e-visa
The UK Government’s announcement in October 2025 about e-visas continues to cause concern for the sector, specifically for people who have not yet acquired EUSS status, but who may be eligible to do so.
The IMA is continuing to review information around difficulties making a late application to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). We will shortly be publishing a magazine, IMA Insights, which focuses on travel and mentions this point.
Securing the rights of children
As identified through the IMA’s future generations work, there is a gap in awareness about the need to make EUSS applications for eligible children. This includes vulnerable groups who are either hard to reach or are in care.
We were asked what action could be taken around this and shared that the IMA had recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of this issue.
We were grateful for the opportunity to attend the APPG meeting, valuing the information learned. It was also an important opportunity to further explain what the IMA does and how it operates.