Richard Bertinet gains settled status in the UK, joins Fred Sirieix and Damian Wawrzyniak to warn against Home Office scheme
French chef and baker Richard Bertinet has been granted indefinite leave in the UK by the Home Office after weeks of uncertainty.
He shared the news on Instagram, showing a picture of a letter confirming that his appeal to remain in the country after Brexit had been successful.
Like 600,000 of the 3+ million EU citizens living in the UK, Richard was asked to apply for a settled status following the introduction of a Home Office immigration scheme.
Under the new law, citizens having lived in the UK for ten years or more can apply for indefinite residency - but it isn't a given, and applicants risk not having the right to remain if it is denied.
The chef's application was originally denied and instead he was given a "pre-settled" status, which expires after five years, despite his having been in the country for 31 years, where he owns a bakery and a cookery school.
He later received a letter informing him that there must have been a mistake and that his status would be confirmed should he apply a second time.
The news comes after House of Feasts chef Damian Wawrzyniak, the chef known for having cooked for the royal family and prepared food for the Olympics, as well as appearing alongside Mary Berry on television, publicly contested the Home Office's decision to give him the same "pre-settled" status.
Another hospitality figured to have been embroiled in the issue is Fred Sirieix - the general manager of Galvin at Windows, famous for his numerous TV appearances including First Dates, My Million Pound Menu and more recently Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip.
He called out the UK Government for what he said was a "Brexit Shambles" and deplored the scheme, which he said "makes people feel like second-class citizens."
The famous Maitre D' also questioned why more people in the restaurant industry aren't taking action to defend the rights of European citizens working in the UK - and warned that it could be another Windrush scandal in the waiting.
Btw can anyone explain to me how come so few hospitality professionals actually go public to denounce #brexit AND defend the rights of their #EU friends and colleagues? ???? @Caterertweets @RestaurantMagUK
— Fred Sirieix (@fredsirieix1) September 3, 2019
And just to be very clear, I very much fear (like many others) the current system for #EU nationals is just another #windrush scandal in waiting. This goes against the values of the UK so how come we still pursue it? Let’s act with a vision full of virtue. Voila. https://t.co/AlDDMWA2Vd
— Fred Sirieix (@fredsirieix1) September 4, 2019
Meanwhile, Richard has warned of the "shambolic" nature of the government's settlement scheme to legislate immigration after the UK's exit from the European Union, casting a light on the potentially disastrous effect the country's post-Brexit immigration policy could have on the hospitality industry.
Damian agreed, stating that the scheme "will have a massive impact on hospitality."
"We're going to be hit big time. I've got a restaurant full tonight, full tomorrow, I have no chefs and this is before anything has started," he said.
Richard Bertinet and Damian Wawrzyniak have launched a campaign to ensure that the 600,000 EU Citizens eligible for settlement see their applications granted, and are encouraging people to contact their MPs as well as The 3 Million organisation for advice.
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