Sounds like the problem is with the documents required to prove his European heritage.
Non EU residents currently have to pay £1000 NHS contributions in order to get there first right to remain Visa, thats for 2.5 years, they have to pay it again for a further two and a half years whilst earning a minimum of £18k to get permanent right to remain, not like they can just rock up here and get a free knee replacement.
Stop it with your common sense.
This still makes me laugh