But up to 3.6 million EU nationals still living here don’t necessarily have the luxury of shrugging and moving on. But with no official letter to wave, EU nationals worry about their details somehow getting lost in the system, or even hacked. It’s stressful for the elderly or very sick, while those who have been paying taxes here for decades feel insulted at being treated like freeloading tourists. For many, the idea of settled status, guaranteeing their rights while keeping one foot inside the EU, was a good compromise. • Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist• In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie.

Source: The Guardian January 17, 2020 06:00 UTC