To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on whether EEA citizens will be removed from or refused re-entry to the UK on the basis that they do not have comprehensive sickness insurance; and if she will make a statement.
Answered on
28 March 2017
The Free Movement Directive requires those who wish to rely on periods of residence as a student or self-sufficient person in order to acquire permanent residence to have held comprehensive sickness insurance for the relevant qualifying periods.
While failure to meet this EU law requirement will lead to a refusal of documentation certifying that the applicant has a right to reside, our longstanding practice is that European Economic Area (EEA) national students or self-sufficient persons will not be removed from the UK solely because they do not have comprehensive sickness insurance. This is because the failure is relatively straightforward to rectify and establish a right to reside in the UK.
Where applications for documentation are refused or rejected, the reasons are explained to applicants and they can, if they wish, apply again with the necessary supporting evidence, although we do not compel them to do so.