A community group has welcomed funding to help EU nationals living in London apply for settled status – but is worried many could “fall through the cracks” and be deported.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan today announced he is giving six community groups in the capital £5,000 each to support EU citizens applying for settled status so they can remain in the UK after Brexit.

The money is aimed at helping “vulnerable” EU citizens such disabled, elderly or homeless people.

Mr Khan has also set up an online portal that EU Londoners can access for advice on what to do to apply for UK settled status.

Migrant Resource Centre, which is based in Haringey and works all over the capital, is one of the groups to receive funding.

But its policy and campaigns manager Yva Alexandrova-Meadway raised concerns that people not considered “vulnerable” could still need help applying for settled status in the UK – particularly those who need help with their English.

She said: “Even if people have a colloquial knowledge of English they don’t feel confident applying for life changing documents in English.

“We have seen people that don’t necessarily fall within that ‘vulnerable’ quota and it is unclear what will happen to them. It is quite likely they will be facing deportation.”

She says one eastern European man she met, who works as an engineer, has all the documents he needs to apply for settled status but is not confident enough in his level of English to apply.

Ms Alexandrova-Meadway said: “He will not necessarily fall into the vulnerability category, but he could be deported.

“We are worried that people are going to slip through the cracks.”

The charity, which is also waiting to hear if it will receive funding from the Home Office to help EU nationals, said the Government needs to do more to help EU nationals understand how to apply for settled status in the UK.

Ms Alexandrova-Meadway said: “It needs to do more in terms of advice and providing more funding for vulnerable people.”

Ms Alexandrova-Meadway added: “The Mayor of London is a good example of how to help EU nationals but he is limited with the money he has got.”

Ms Meadway, herself an EU citizen who has lived in on-and-off in the UK for ten years but will need to apply for settled status, said people are “worried”.

She added: “There is a sense of betrayal and disappointment as well as a lack of clarity at what we need to do from the Government.”