British expatriates fear for their future after UK vote

[webfact]

British expatriates fear for their future after UK vote
By BARRY HATTON and DIEGO TORRES

BENIDORM, Spain (AP) — Tad Dawson's pub in this Spanish vacation town was doing a brisk business in the summer sun. The only dark clouds he saw were coming from the bar's TV, tuned to a British news channel.

Inside the Yorkshire Pride were many British tourists watching the screen as their prime minister announced his resignation Friday after the U.K. voted to leave the European Union.

Dawson, a 51-year-old Englishman who has lived in Spain since the 1990s, admits the decoupling of Britain from the EU other 27 member nations has him spooked.

His future is suddenly uncertain.

"We're very scared because I've been here 23 years. I've got my house, my kids were born here, they went to a British-Spanish school, I've got a bar, I've got a lot to lose," Dawson said at his pub, which was decked out with the red-and-white English flags featuring the St. George's Cross.

EU leaders are due soon to begin unprecedented — and knotty — negotiations on how to extricate the U.K. from the bloc. Crucially for British expatriates, EU laws stipulate that the bloc's citizens have the same rights as those nationals in any other member nation.

Nobody is saying what the rights of Britons living in the EU might be in a future outside the bloc. Dawson worries about losing his entitlements in Spain, which is part of the EU.

"We don't know how we're going to be now," he said. "We might have no pension. We might have no medical. We may have to sell our properties. We've lived here for a lot of years. We don't know how it's going to affect us anymore."

An estimated 1.2 million Britons live in other EU countries, many of them in France, Spain and Portugal, according to Britain's House of Commons library. But analysts reckon the true number could be at least double that — and maybe a lot more, because many don't bother registering with their embassies or the local authorities.

Raquel Martins, an immigration lawyer at the Lisbon, Portugal, law firm of SRS Advogados, said the United Kingdom and the EU would now enter many months of negotiations to try to secure a reciprocity agreement that establishes legal guarantees for their citizens who live abroad.

"Nothing will happen right now. Nobody is going to be sent home," she said. "What would make sense in my eyes is for there to be some kind of give-and-take and an agreement on reciprocal safeguards."

Across Europe, British expats reacted with alarm, dismay and sadness after Thursday's referendum on Britain's EU exit, also known as Brexit.

"I am in a state of shock," said Patrick Lamb, a standup comedian who has lived in Austria for 17 years. "I am also concerned by what Brexit means for the longer-term future. The world seems very unstable."

In Berlin, Dale Carr from Sheffield in northern England said she would request German nationality. She said she, her Scottish husband and her two British-passport holding children would apply for German citizenship to keep their EU entitlements.

"Otherwise, we have no rights. What am I to do with this British passport?" asked the 63-year-old who moved to Germany in 1978 and runs two British goods shops called Broken English.

Ian Tilling, the British chairman of the Casa Ioana charity for the homeless in Bucharest, said he felt an urge to "go off and burn my passport." He ticked off his pressing concerns: that Scotland would seek independence from the U.K. so it could stay in the EU; that the United States would neglect relations with the U.K. in favor of the more powerful EU; and that the EU itself might break up further.

Sheila MacDonald, a retiree from Edinburgh who lives in Portugal's southern Algarve region, said local British expats are worried about forfeiting their access to Portuguese public health services and being unable to renew documents such as residence permits.

Looming larger for MacDonald, however, is the value of the British currency. She, like many retired expats, lives on a U.K. pension that is sent in pounds. She has to exchange that income to the euro, which is used in Portugal. After the referendum result was announced, the pound fell to its lowest level since 1985 amid financial market concerns that the outcome will hurt the U.K. economy.

"I'm looking at very reduced financial resources, and I'm not the only one," MacDonald said.

She also fears becoming stranded, since she wouldn't be able to move back to Britain because property prices there are much higher than in the Algarve, where she figures her apartment is worth about 100,000 euros ($110,000).

"What would I get in England for my apartment here? It would get me a garage," she said.

On the other hand, Richard Mills, who runs British real estate agency Azul Properties in the Algarve, predicted that elderly expats who were already thinking of moving back home could speed up their plans in order to take advantage of a Portuguese law granting a capital gains tax exemption if property sales are reinvested in real estate elsewhere in the EU.

There were no currency worries among Britons in the United Arab Emirates, where they are one of the largest groups of expatriates. For those earning foreign currency, the British pound overnight became a lot cheaper to buy, though it was small comfort for some who fear broader problems.

"The one bonus, I guess, is that transferring money back to the U.K. suddenly became a whole lot easier, but that really pales in significance when you consider the wider situation," said Charlie Miller, a 24-year-old from West Berkshire who works in advertising in Dubai. "The Brexit hangover has only just begun."

___

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Jon Gambrell in Dubai, David Rising in Berlin, George Jahn in Vienna and Alison Mutler in Bucharest contributed.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-27

[colinneil]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

[shirtless]

The Eu want to make an example out of Britain, to stop any further departures from the EU,

[bkkcanuck8]

The Eu want to make an example out of Britain, to stop any further departures from the EU,

All this whining about ooo the EU wants to make an example of you because....

There is no "making an example of" -- unless of course you are expecting to be treated specially. Invoke article 50, if negotiations are not amicable wait 2 years and guess what - you are in exactly the same position as most other countries outside the EU are in... just a trading partner... under WTO rules.

Why should Britain get some sort of special deal? That sort of thing takes time and takes give and take and is nothing that is owed to anyone....

Whinging bout the EU while your in, and now whining about the EU after deciding to leave... only common thing here is whining....

[SheungWan]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

Looks like the dozy expats are mostly in Thailand.

[KimSamui]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

Simplistic. If only it was a one way street.

[bkkcanuck8]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

Simplistic. If only it was a one way street.

At least the big consulting firms like KPMG are happy... already business flooding in with requests for services with regards to corporate restructuring..... and they expect much bigger invoices to come....

[OMGImInPattaya]

Switzerland and Norway are doing fine outside the EU...and for that matter, so are Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Getting the Scotch and maybe the Irish out on their own will probably be a good thing too.

[FourAces]

[bark]

Switzerland and Norway are doing fine outside the EU...and for that matter, so are Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Getting the Scotch and maybe the Irish out on their own will probably be a good thing too.

Lose Scotland and N. Ireland. Great Briton , Not so Great now.

[LostTourist]

when ever I think of the UK and Europe.

I think of Chester and Spike

The EU being spike and Chester is the UK

[LostTourist]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

Britain will be strong again

So will my todger after I drop a couple Viagra's

[SheungWan]

Switzerland and Norway are doing fine outside the EU...and for that matter, so are Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Getting the Scotch and maybe the Irish out on their own will probably be a good thing too.

Norway, Canada and Australia are commodity plays. Switzerland is finance and cuckoo clocks, chemicals, cheese and Heidi. New Zealand is sheep and small. USA is big and has the reserve currency. As for breaking up the UK one can see the know-nothing mentality which underpins this, not to mention no idea where this leads other than a celebration of Little Englandism. At some time Nissan (pesky foreigners) will re-evaluate their European investment strategy when it comes to new model production lines and then the good people of Sunderland can repent at leisure. The provinces can look forward to an even more barren future and the young will pay the price for the older generation's surrender to racism and an almighty demonstration of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

Edited June 27, 2016 by SheungWan

[alant]

Why is this post based on Spanish ex pats not those of us in Thailand? Is the site to change to espaniavisa.com ?

[kamahele]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

But are you an expat living in the EU which is what this article addresses?

[SheungWan]

Why is this post based on Spanish ex pats not those of us in Thailand? Is the site to change to espaniavisa.com ?

It appears that some expats have difficulty working out that this is a world news forum thread.

[kamahele]

Switzerland and Norway are doing fine outside the EU...and for that matter, so are Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Getting the Scotch and maybe the Irish out on their own will probably be a good thing too.

Really?The USA was the EU two hundred years before the EU was conceived. A joining of 13 individual states into one union (now 50). Now the UK is under threat of breaking up their own union. Yeah, the EU is a bureaucratic nightmare but I can't see how the UK lost out being a member. The UK has thrived financially as an EU member and kept its sovereignty which is a word being bandied about (give us back our sovereignty!).

[phutoie2]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

Looks like the dozy expats are mostly in Thailand.

yes, amazing some of the retard comments on here. There will be no unshackling until UK triggers article 50 and already the brexiteers have announced there is no rush. There have been comments from them that we remain part of the single market too. Well free movement of labour across Europe is a main EU principle on that one. Some good news, EU HQ has told Kranky face to get on her bike.

[tomacht8]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

Simplistic. If only it was a one way street.

At least the big consulting firms like KPMG are happy... already business flooding in with requests for services with regards to corporate restructuring..... and they expect much bigger invoices to come....

Think the in EU law specialized business lawyers will also have to do well.

Examine possibilities of compensation indictments, Conveying money checks, resettlement grants, etc. The problem is that often in the details.

[alanrchase]

Switzerland and Norway are doing fine outside the EU...and for that matter, so are Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Getting the Scotch and maybe the Irish out on their own will probably be a good thing too.

You know that Scotch is an adhesive tape and not a Nationally?

[mortiboy]

I have been living Thailand 20 years.In 2003 My Pension was frozen.Also not eligible for National health if I return to UK for treatment.

(Even I contributed to the UK government 55 years!)

Why then I still residing Thailand ? .The increase in pension is insignificant.I can still survive well here.

People living outside UK get all the benifits as UK....I dont!

Whats the big deal? I manage OK .Just carry on and enjoy a great life in the sun

Its not that dramatic!

[SheungWan]

I have been living Thailand 20 years.In 2003 My Pension was frozen.Also not eligible for National health if I return to UK for treatment.

(Even I contributed to the UK government 55 years!)

Why then I still residing Thailand ? .The increase in pension is insignificant.I can still survive well here.

People living outside UK get all the benifits as UK....I dont!

Whats the big deal? I manage OK .Just carry on and enjoy a great life in the sun

Its not that dramatic!

Its not that dramatic that your sterling pension has just gone down ~ 8-10% in real terms? Is that what you want to tell us?

[mesterm]

What will happen to all the European migrant workers in the UK?

[SgtRock]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

Looks like the dozy expats are mostly in Thailand.

The dozy expats are the ones that never had the foresight to understand that the EU, at some stage would come unstuck and set up their stall within the EU.

This is not a new phenomenon and has been spoken about for at least 2 decades.

The other strange phenomenon is that the remainers continually refer to expats, especially the retired expats as being poor state pensioners.

Could one of the remainers produce statistics showing the % of retired expats throughout the world that rely solely on a State Pension.

[tomacht8]

I am a British ex-pat. I am not worried about the future.

Britain will be strong again, once the shackles of Europe have been broken.

I love the English humor.

Until now the best product made in UK.

[tomacht8]

What will happen to all the European migrant workers in the UK?

As I understand the speeches, all will be returned.

The 750,000 polish plumbers first.

[SgtRock]

What will happen to all the European migrant workers in the UK?

As I understand the speeches, all will be returned.

The 750,000 polish plumbers first.

You understand wrong. Limiting and controlling future immigration does not equate to sending anyone home.

How about a link to those 750,000 plumbers in the UK ?

Or could it be that you are just talking garbage.

[vogie]

Switzerland and Norway are doing fine outside the EU...and for that matter, so are Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Getting the Scotch and maybe the Irish out on their own will probably be a good thing too.

Norway, Canada and Australia are commodity plays. Switzerland is finance and cuckoo clocks, chemicals, cheese and Heidi. New Zealand is sheep and small. USA is big and has the reserve currency. As for breaking up the UK one can see the know-nothing mentality which underpins this, not to mention no idea where this leads other than a celebration of Little Englandism. At some time Nissan (pesky foreigners) will re-evaluate their European investment strategy when it comes to new model production lines and then the good people of Sunderland can repent at leisure. The provinces can look forward to an even more barren future and the young will pay the price for the older generation's surrender to racism and an almighty demonstration of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

I wouldn't be so quick to blame the older generation, without them maybe the young would not have the freedom to vote.

[12DrinkMore]

Switzerland and Norway are doing fine outside the EU...and for that matter, so are Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Getting the Scotch and maybe the Irish out on their own will probably be a good thing too.

You know that Scotch is an adhesive tape and not a Nationally?

99.9999999% on TV would have said whiskey.

[mesterm]

What will happen to all the European migrant workers in the UK?

As I understand the speeches, all will be returned.

The 750,000 polish plumbers first.

You understand wrong. Limiting and controlling future immigration does not equate to sending anyone home.

How about a link to those 750,000 plumbers in the UK ?

Or could it be that you are just talking garbage.

Well he is exaggerating the number to make a point, which I understood and didn't mind.

But I am hoping to get a factual answer to my question.