Fred Sirieix granted settled status following earlier confusion over application

The Home Office has apologised to Fred Sirieix over the confusion regarding his application for permanent residency in the UK in the lead up to Brexit.

Earlier today the leading maître d’ and television presenter told The Caterer that he has been made to feel like a “second-class citizen” after being asked for evidence of five years’ continuous residency in the UK, despite having lived and worked in the country for 27 years.

However, following widespread publicity on social media, the Home Office called and emailed Sirieix, general manager of Galvin at Windows at Hilton on Park Lane, to apologise for their mistake. He was told that as a permanent resident with indefinite leave to remain status there was no need to apply for permanency residency in the first place and was granted settled status with immediate effect.

The experience of Sirieix is the latest fiasco to engulf the Home Office regarding applications from EU citizens for permanent residency.

A spokesperson for he Home Office said: “We have contacted Mr Sirieix about his application and he has now been granted settled status.

“Nobody has been granted pre-settled status without first being offered the opportunity to submit evidence that they qualify for settled status. EU Settlement Scheme statistics confirm that by the end of June not a single person had been refused.

“EU citizens are our friends, family and neighbours and we want them to stay.”