170,000 Hungarians Have Officially Settled in the UK

More than 3.5 million EU citizens (including officially 170,000 Hungarians) live in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) of the United Kingdom. According to the 2021 census figures, their numbers have increased by 1.1 million in ten years and account for more than a third (36.4%) of the non-UK-born population living in the two countries, the Hungarian state news agency MTI reports.

The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, 2020. However, EU citizens who were legally and habitually resident there by the end of 2020, until the end of the 11-month transition period that started after the UK's exit from the EU (Brexit), are able to remain in the country with all their acquired rights. To do so, they must apply for a residence permit of indefinite duration, known as EU Settled Status.

According to UK Home Office figures, around 170,000 Hungarian nationals have done so, so far.

This means that almost as many people are formally settled in the UK as the population of Debrecen, the second largest city in Hungary.

The deadline for applications was supposed to have expired on June 30 last year, but the UK government continues to urge those eligible to apply to submit the necessary documentation, as the authorities will accept and process legitimate applications for resettlement that meet the criteria despite the deadline.