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Dear fellow EU citizen,

We have deeply disappointing news: the High Court rejected the3million #DeniedMyVote case about the discrimination of EU citizens in the UK who were disenfranchised in the May 2019 European elections. Scroll down below to read our official statement.

We have lost one legal battle, but our broader fight for citizens’ rights continues as time is running out for EU citizens in the UK and their families who need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021 if they haven't secured an immigration status yet.

Are you ready to join our #DropTheLetter campaign? Go!

In November, the3million wrote to the Minister for Immigration to propose that the Government writes to every household in the UK to tell EU citizens what they need to do to keep their rights now that free movement has ended. 

This is crucial to ensure that everyone is informed about what they need to do, as there are still thousands of people who need to apply. 

The government has not done this, but we can still do our bit if we organise ourselves.

Brighton and Hove Council wrote to every household in their area about the deadline of 30 June 2021 for EU citizens to apply for the right to remain in the UK.

What was so great about their initiative was that they wrote to every household, not just to those on their electoral roll. Research shows that, on average, only 54% of eligible EU voters are registered to vote, so especially to reach the most vulnerable, writing to every address is what is needed.

We need you to join us again on another email marathon!

All you need to do is to write to your local councillor to ask what your council is doing to communicate the important information about the EU Settled Status scheme to its residents and request that they write to every household in their area about this vital and urgent issue.

You can find more details on how to do this at https://www.the3million.org.uk/drop-the-letter
 

European regards,

Mailan and Mia



Mailan Henning and Mia Carvalho are the co-chair of the3million Campaign Team, a grassroots network of volunteer campaigners.

Offer to join the Campaign Team today by filling this short questionnaire
 

Find out more about the3million: www.the3million.org.uk
 

HIGH COURT REJECTS THE3MILLION #DENIEDMYVOTE CASE



We are deeply disappointed that today the High Court rejected a claim for judicial review brought by individual EU citizens who have made the UK their home, all of whom wanted to vote in the 2019 European Parliament elections but could not because of the way the UK voting system operated.

We, the3million, brought the claim along with them because we believe that the right to vote is fundamental in a democracy. The Government was well aware of the risks of disenfranchisement. It ought to have taken action to avoid it happening in the first place and it ought to have accepted it was responsible when it happened, rather than blame others such as local election officials and the EU. In the report published late in 2019, the Electoral Commission agreed with us. The Government did not challenge this report. However, its actions have been found lawful by the Court.

The Court accepted some EU citizens were denied their vote, but was unwilling to draw any conclusions about the numbers. The case shows that, even though we have evidence of thousands of EU citizens being unable to vote due to the procedures controlled directly by the government, proving systemic discrimination in court is incredibly hard to achieve.
We find it hard to reconcile the findings in the judgment with what happened to us in 2019. However, EU citizens are facing a growing set of challenges and we are now taking stock of our options. We will look at our resources, at the urgent priorities for those who we represent, and what we can do going forward. We will be in touch with our backers, who we wouldn’t have been able to bring this case without, next week. We remain grateful to all those who supported this case.

We specially want to thank everyone who supported us to raise this case. We know how you feel today and we want to send you one big hug. We have lost one legal battle, but our broader fight for citizens’ rights continues

You can read the full judgement here.
TWEET OF THE WEEK


 


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