"I want to be clear - we will not be extending the deadline," Foster told reporters, adding that people have been given "plenty of time to apply."
According to Foster, who said that the Home Office had received over 5.6 million applications since the European Union Settlement Scheme was opened in May 2019, pushing the date back was not a solution, as it would only lead to more uncertainty.
"Put simply, extending the deadline is not a solution in itself to reaching those people who have not yet applied and we would just be in a position further down the line where we would be asked to extend again, creating even more uncertainty," he stated.
Campaigners have warned that thousands of European citizens who are vulnerable, old, homeless or rough sleepers could miss the government’s deadline.
Foster said, however, that those with "reasonable grounds" for missing the deadline, which is due in one week’s time, would still be able to apply to the settlement scheme.
He added that people whose applications have not been fully processed after June 30 will have access to a certificate while they await the decision from the immigration authorities.