THE UK Government is being urged to pour extra resources into dealing with applications for citizenship from EU nationals in key health jobs.
The call came after The Herald revealed yesterday how an NHS consultant psychiatrist resident in Scotland for 25 years and working for an under pressure service supporting vulnerable young people, had been left feeling “unwanted” after being frustrated by the citizenship application process.
East German born Dr Claudia Grimmer, 51, who works for the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Fife, told yesterday how she was made to sit a language test despite having sat her psychiatry exams here and working in a specialist field in which a full grasp of language is vital.
Dr Grimmer, who came to Scotland in 1992 and decided to apply for UK citizenship amid concerns over what might happen to EU nationals after the UK leaves Europe, was made to remove her glasses and her Fitbit watch for the test, which officials suspected could have been connected to an online translation site, enabling her to cheat.
She said the process has left her feeling like she was “not trusted”, while repeated and confusing requests for proof of residency gave the impression that she constantly needed to “prove yourself”.
Pete Wishart, SNP MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said he is now making representations to the Home Office on her behalf.
He added: “Sadly this type of case has become a very familiar feature in MPs’ offices since the vote to leave the EU.
“The UK Government must put more resources into dealing with applications such as Dr Grimmer’s, and must offer EU nationals living in the UK greater clarity over their future here.
“Talk of a ‘no deal Brexit’ is doing nothing to reassure those EU nationals who live here and contribute to our society.”
She has still yet to be told whether her application has been approved after it went in back in January.
A Home Office spokesman said there is no provision within the citizenship process to enable certain applicants in key jobs or with long residency, to ‘fast track’ through the system.
He said: “We treat everyone the same. There are no special circumstances. A lot of people have been here for a long time, but that’s the system.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “All EU nationals living in Scotland and the rest of the UK should have been given firm assurances on their residency status and other rights immediately after the referendum result. The fact UK Government has not yet done so, fully 16 months on from the vote, is unacceptable.
“Scotland as a whole benefits from inward migration - boosting growth in our economy and diversity in our communities. Behind this good news, however, we cannot escape the immense harm that Brexit poses. A hard Brexit, with restrictions on free movement, would be a major threat to our economy, and the contribution made by people from across Europe and further afield.”
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