A government advert telling EU citizens what they need to do to stay in the UK after Brexit has been banned.
In a Home Office radio advert aired in April, listeners were told: “All you need to apply is your passport or ID card and to complete an online form”.
But the Advertising Standards Authority ruled the claim was misleading, as many applicants were required to submit further documents not stated in the ad.
The Home Office said: “We completely disagree with ASA’s decision.” The Home Office advert was promoting the government’s EU Settlement Scheme,which allows EU citizens and their families to apply to live and work in the UK after freedom of movement ends.
Applicants must prove their identity, show that they live in the UK and declare any criminal convictions. In its ruling, advertising watchdog the ASA ruled that the proportion of people asked to submit further documents was higher than what the audience was likely to believe from listening to the ad.
“Listeners would likely understand that an official application process of this nature would always require some applicants to provide further information in exceptional cases,” the ASA said.
It added: “In that context, we considered that the ad did not make sufficiently clear that, in some cases, applicants would need to supply documents beyond their passport or ID card.”
In response to the complaint, the Home Office insisted the advert was part of a wider campaign promoting awareness of the EU Settlement Scheme. It told the ASA it was not possible to include all aspects of the application process in a short ad, and listeners were directed to the scheme’s website where there was more detailed information.
It argued that – regardless of the application outcome – in 73% of cases people did not have to submit any more documents as evidence of their residence.
The ASA rejected the government’s defence and ruled the advert must not be broadcast again in the same format. It also told the Home Office that, in future, adverts must make clear that applicants may need to provide additional documents.
