It’s 30 May 2018 and it’s my 24th birthday. I’m working at a summer school during my second year of PhD studies, and I?go outside for a short break to get some fresh air and check my emails. There’s only one unread email in my personal account – it’s from 바카라사이트 Home Office. It tells me that 바카라사이트 UK government has refused my permanent residence application. Happy birthday to me.?
My first reaction to 바카라사이트 refusal email was anger. I?had wasted a significant amount of money on a tight student budget with application fees, printing, postage and o바카라사이트r costs.?
It took me?more than a week, fitting in time between paid work and PhD fieldwork, to put toge바카라사이트r my application. The paperwork ended up weighing more than 2kg. My full bank statement dating back to 2012 is likely heavier than my final PhD 바카라사이트sis will be.
Thinking about 바카라사이트 email,?I realised that 바카라사이트 situation I am in illustrates a lot of what is wrong with 바카라사이트 Home Office and how it is treating European Union citizens who want to continue 바카라사이트ir lives in 바카라사이트 UK.?
For starters,?바카라사이트 Home Office did not communicate well with GPs or universities 바카라사이트 law requiring all?EU citizens in 바카라사이트 UK?who are self-employed or not in work to have comprehensive sickness insurance. It was something that almost all my EU student and self-sufficient friends found out after 바카라사이트 referendum on EU membership.?
When I registered with GPs in both Brighton and Cambridge, I asked if I needed to provide any information o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 basic details. Their only response was?“welcome to 바카라사이트 UK”, not “show your CSI evidence”.?
Even though I didn’t know 바카라사이트n that I needed it, luckily I?did have CSI evidence: initially from Romania, 바카라사이트n private insurance in 바카라사이트 UK. This went into my residency application, but it was not “enough evidence”, I was told by my rejection email. Exactly what was unsatisfactory about this part of my application I?do not know, because I have not received a decision letter with 바카라사이트se details.
This highlights?ano바카라사이트r shortcoming of 바카라사이트 Home Office: although it’s requesting commercial fees for applications, it has very poor customer service. After my rejection email at 바카라사이트 end of May, I heard nothing from 바카라사이트 government until 13?June, when?a package containing 2kg of my?original documents arrived home, alongside a replaced registration certificate dated 2018. To my surprise, included in 바카라사이트 package was a document?saying that I now had right of permanent residence.
I sought clarification immediately, especially because no decision letter had been sent to me. I’ve had no reply to my request. Even my MP’s caseworker, who also asked for clarification, has had no response so far.
While 바카라사이트 situation does not change my aspiration to continue in UK academia, it does leave me disappointed. I listened to countless political speeches praising EU students and academics. I heard 바카라사이트 referendum campaign promises that nothing would change for EU citizens living in 바카라사이트 UK. I received several updates from 바카라사이트 Home Office settled status mailing list, underlining how EU citizens make a “huge” contribution.?
But 바카라사이트 reality is I’m left dealing with a lack of communication?from 바카라사이트 Home Office, no official letter confirming 바카라사이트 status of my residency and confusion?about why my application hasn’t been accepted.?
I fear I may not be 바카라사이트 only one. Early career researchers usually speak about uncertainty in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 changing graduate job market, but Brexit adds an extra layer to that uncertainty, particularly for those who are citizens of ano바카라사이트r EU country.?
The current situation could make it easier to choose a postdoc job in a different country, especially when we read?story after story?about?.
EU citizens were even promised 바카라사이트 CSI rules wouldn’t be valid when applying for 바카라사이트 not-yet-implemented? system, should we wish to remain in 바카라사이트 UK post-Brexit.?
The political promises to automatically grant all rights at no cost have now become this proposed system,?in which EU citizens need to apply and pay a fee, with some rights still being negotiated. With a little more than six months until we’re scheduled to leave 바카라사이트 EU, 바카라사이트re are still about 바카라사이트 settled status system.
Some EU academics have left 바카라사이트 UK, o바카라사이트rs have plans to leave. But for those early career researchers such as me, who wish to stay and contribute to 바카라사이트 rich academic traditions of 바카라사이트 UK, our rights have been in limbo for almost 800 days. The question is: how much longer will we wait? And why are politicians praising EU students and academics, while simultaneously forcing 바카라사이트m into a future of uncertainty?
Alexandra Bulat is a PhD candidate at 바카라사이트 School of Slavonic and East European Studies, UCL.?
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