The3million sues Home Office after settled status withdrawn from nearly 1,500 EU citizens

The3million, a group that defends the rights of EU citizens in the UK, has filed a legal claim against the Home Office. The case concerns nearly 1,500 EU immigrants who were granted settled status and were later told the decision had been an "error".

What the claim is about

According to the Polish news site Polish Express, the claim was filed with the High Court on a Friday, before 9 November 2026. The organisation accuses the Home Office of allegedly breaching the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

The claim says the department removed all or some of the rights of people who had been granted settled status without the "procedural protection" the agreement requires. This includes the right to appeal and a proportionality assessment, which checks whether removing the rights was justified. The claim also points out that these EU citizens built their lives in the UK relying on the Home Office's original decision.

An earlier case

This is not the first legal dispute over how the Withdrawal Agreement is implemented. In 2022 the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA), the body set up to oversee proper implementation of the agreement, brought a case. It was backed by the3million.

The IMA argued that the Home Office put EU citizens at risk of losing the right to work or rent a home by forcing them to reapply for settled status after their temporary (pre-settled) status expired. The court found that the conditions imposed by the Home Office were unlawful, so the case ended in the IMA's favour.

An example from the claim

Among those affected by the Home Office's approach is a 33-year-old Brazilian engineer of Italian descent who has lived in London since 2018. He was first told he should not have been granted settled status. He could stay in the UK, but his Brazilian wife could not. That decision was reversed in recent weeks after objections were raised.

In October 2026 the Home Office accepted that if someone provides proof of Italian citizenship and shows they obtained it by descent, it will treat them as having been Italian from birth.

A Home Office spokesperson said the department could not comment because proceedings are ongoing.

What this means for you

The source does not indicate that the case involves Polish citizens. It also does not say who exactly was affected by the withdrawn decisions, apart from the example above. For now this is a claim that the court has not decided. People with settled status who have doubts about their situation can check government guidance or contact an advice organisation.