The Home Office is being sued for alleged breach of the Brexit withdrawal agreement after stripping almost 1,500 EU citizens of their full rights to live in the UK, according to the Guardian.

Campaign group the3million lodged court papers at the High Court on Friday. The group says several EU citizens granted pre-settled status were later told those decisions were an "error."

According to the statement of claim, the Home Office removed all or some rights from pre-settled status holders without "procedural protections" required under the withdrawal agreement. These protections include a right of appeal and an assessment of "proportionality." The claim argues that such an assessment would test whether removing rights was appropriate, given that people had built their lives in the UK on the basis of the original decision.

Monique Hawkins, acting CEO of the3million, said: "The Home Office is putting the cart before the horse. It denies people the safeguards the withdrawal agreement guarantees – a fair assessment and a right of appeal – because it says they are 'clearly' not covered by the agreement."

Hawkins said the Home Office changed its policy on jure sanguinis Italian nationals after its errors were exposed. She added: "Despite our advocacy efforts since early 2025, the Home Office refused to change course, so we have no option but to challenge the policy in court."

The campaign group asks the court to declare the "grant in error policy" unlawful, through breach of the withdrawal agreement and/or common law. It also asks for orders to "excise the offending parts of the published policy."

Several Brazilians with Italian parents or grandparents were affected. The report says that under Italian law they are Italian by birth, but the Home Office alleged they were not because they lacked an Italian passport when they applied. A 33-year-old Brazilian Italian engineer in London was told he should not have settled status, while his Brazilian wife could not stay. That decision was reversed in recent weeks after objections were raised.

The Home Office said it could not comment because proceedings are ongoing.