AFTER 11pm tonight EU passport holders will no longer have the automatic right to live in the UK - a move affecting thousands of residents of Glasgow.

Govanhill has a high number of EU residents who have chosen to make the area their home and local charities have been working to ensure they access their right to stay post-Brexit.

Local organisations, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), have been working together for some time to support EU citizens living in Govanhill to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) before the deadline today.

Annie Macfarlane, local resident and Govanhill Community Development Trust Committee member, said: “Govanhill is an area where many EU citizens have settled with their families, under the assumption that they would continue to have a right to stay in this country.

“Brexit has removed this automatic right and is likely to make life very difficult for many.

“Although we are not an immigration advice service, it has been important to us to support people in every way we can to make sure members of our Govanhill community can continue to have a right to family life here.”

Govanhill Community Development Trust, Community Renewal, Positive Action in Housing and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have supported more than 150 local residents to apply on time.

Some members of the community have struggled to exercise their rights due to a lack of digital access.

While the application is relatively straightforward, many people living in more deprived areas have faced significant barriers to securing their legal right to stay in the country.

This includes having difficulty obtaining documents, gathering the necessary proof of residence, or lacking the technology required to complete the online application.

Paul McColgan, Chief Executive of Community Renewal, said: “Community Renewal has been working alongside the Roma community in Govanhill for several years.

“Since April 2019, part of our work has been assisting individuals and families in applying for EUSS.

“During that time, we have found that many lack digital access or struggle to understand the evidence requirements, so a large part of our support has been supporting them in overcoming those barriers.”

After the outcome of the Brexit referendum it was uncertain what would happen to EU citizens living in the UK.

In 2019 the UK government set up the EU Settlement Scheme.

Under the Scheme, EU/EEA and Swiss nationals can be eligible to apply for settled - indefinite leave to remain - or pre-settled - five years temporary leave to remain - status.

The former would be for those who have been continuously resident in the UK for five years or more, the latter would be for those who have been resident in the UK for less than five years.

But in the latter case they would have to show they were resident in the UK by the end of the transition period, December 31, 2021.

All EU/EEA and Swiss nationals who were resident in the UK before the end of the transition period can make an application to the EUSS until 11pm today.

After this, holding an EU passport will no longer give the automatic right to live in the UK.

UK Chief of Mission Dipti Pardeshi from the Institute of Migration, added: “People who have been supported by IOM in Glasgow and across the UK since 2019, include children in care, people who are homeless or rough sleeping, survivors of modern slavery and domestic abuse, as well as people living with disabilities, or facing language, literacy or economic barriers.

“We have been working closely with local authorities and third sector organisations to ensure that no one is left behind.”