More than four million EU people have applied for the EU Settlement Scheme in the UK.

More than four million applications for the EU Settlement Scheme have already been submitted, which means that the target was achieved eight months before the Home Office declared the deadline of 30 June 2021.

The EU Settlement Scheme gives EU, EEA or Swiss citizens and their family members the ability to continue residing in the United Kingdom right before the end of the Brexit transition phase, says SchengenVisaInfo.com.

According to a press release released by the UK government, this achievement has led to almost 3.8 million citizens being given status in the coming years, ensuring the rights of millions of Europeans under the laws of the United Kingdom.

Based on the latest figures, out of the United Kingdom's 4 million applications, there were:

• In England, almost 3.7 million have been filed

• In Scotland, 204,700 filed

• 67,200 submitted in Wales

• In Northern Ireland, 66,300 filed

Kevin Foster, the UK Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, said that European citizens are an essential part of the society of the United Kingdom, expressing, among other things, his satisfaction that more than 4 million applications have already been successfully submitted to the EU Settlement Scheme.

"If you need it, a wide range of support is available online and over the phone and we fund 72 organizations across the UK to help the most vulnerable in society," added the Minister.

The EU Settlement Scheme was launched in March 2019, with an average of 20,000 applications handled per day. Whereas, with over 400,000 status awards, the largest number of applications was reached in October 2019.

A total of 1,500 employees have worked with the EU Settlement Scheme at the Home Office. Via emails or telephone calls, they offered help for applicants during the entire week.

One million applications were processed for the scheme in August 2019, followed by two million in October 2019, three million in February 2020, and more than four million in October of this year.

In the meantime the Home Office has dedicated £ 4 million exclusively to marketing initiatives throughout the United Kingdom in order to stimulate European citizens' applications.

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union, although the transition phase is scheduled to end by the end of the year. Travelling to the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway or Liechtenstein will be subject to new rules from January 2021.