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Question For British Expats

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#1

This is a bit off and away from normal Fiverr topics of discussion, however, I know that there are some British expats who work on Fiverr and I think this might be of some interest.

Basically, as you will probably be aware, the UK is holding it’s get out of the EU referendum in June and I am just wondering if anyone knows what a yes (i.e leave) vote might mean for us expats who live in Europe?

I live in Malta and here it seems to be a case of if you apply for residency prior to an out vote you get to stay for as long as you like. However, after an out vote we would only then have the automatic right to live in either the UK or our current EU country of choice.

This is a bit of a concern for me as I don’t actually like Malta that much (nothing against the people it’s just too small) and am mulling a move to Cyprus. At the same time though, my partner is Hungarian and for lots of practical reasons it would be logically best to move there in the advent of an out vote.

I suppose what I would like to therefore ask, is would an out vote definitely remove our freedom of movement and our right to settle anywhere we like in the EU? What I do know is that hypothetically there would be a 2-year change over period before any restrictions came into effect. However, other expat-centric info is a bit sparse at best.

#2

Not a British expat, obviously, but have written a lot about Brexit…so if a Brexit were to happen, everything would depend on the bilateral agreements that UK has with those countries - reciprocity - things should remain the same for expats in Spain and Germany and France and Italy, maybe not so for those in countries such as Hungary, Poland, Romania and other Eastern European nations because politicians in the UK want to curb migration from these countries. Not sure about Malta or Cyprus because they are very small countries and there is no migration from these countries to UK.

#3

Yea, Malta would have a bilateral agreement with the UK. My only concern really is that I think those agreements will be put in place to facilitate holiday travel and retiring, not the movement of unskilled workers across borders.

Also, there are lots of funny things going on in the background in that people who live abroad might no longer be entitled to benefits if they return to the UK. Likewise, in Malta they used to charge double transport and utility charges to non-citizens and I’m hearing mutterings about this being brought back for the British if they exit.

#4

I haven’t given it too much thought, tbh. In the worst case scenario, it looks like I’d have to play border hopping every few months, and in the best case scenario…nothing really changes. No expats I’ve spoken to about it are particularly concerned and we all have a similar attitude that it’ll be “Bremain”. There’s not much to gain by bowing out of Europe, and it’s English (not necessarily British!) isolationism, looking across the Atlantic for guidance…and I hardly need point out that US politics is mental at the moment as well!

I largely agree with this article as far as the politics goes: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/18/david-cameron-eu-referendum-no-credit-conservative-europe-ashamed

Let’s not forget that our esteemed prime minister enjoys the company of pigs. I’m still amazed that he got through that so well…

#5

You are so lucky over there being able to hop around and settle in so many great countries.

#6

I know, this is what I am afraid of losing. I have very itchy feet and have spent most of my life living and working in different countries. What is really bugging me though is the crass stupidity of the toffs at the top who are trying to stir up all this anti-free market rubbish.

When I last lived in the UK with my Hungarian partner she lost her job (after three years with the same company) due to the fact that they didn’t need her anymore. This wasn’t a big issue and we decided that she should just go on the dole (unemployment benefit) until she found work again. The only problem? She was told that she hadn’t worked long enough in the UK etc to qualify.

Okay I thought, that’s only fair I suppose but in this case, how the hell are other people from Eastern Europe (apparently) swanning on in every day and getting benefits?

Then there is the mass Middle Eastern immigration fiasco. I’m not against people fleeing war-torn areas etc and I suppose I myself am an immigrant. However, EU laws clearly state that if you claim asylum you have to do it in the first EU country you get to. In this case, if you arrive in and walk across an entire continent to get to the UK or Germany, you are demonstrating unequivocally that you are an economic immigrant and (as per the rules) should be refused asylum and deported.

The whole things a pigs ear sandwich of discontent forming rubbish. Worse, it’s being lapped up like milk by ever burgeoning generations of disenfranchised low income and angry people everywhere. In fact, if a Brexit does come about I think I might just pack up and leave Europe altogether before things get any worse. The only question is where?

#7

Brexit is unlikely to happen.

#8

I’m actually an admirer of David Cameron…because of him the British economy is back on track. I’m not a fan of Guardian, they always back the losing team and are always wrong on most things. No wonder they don’t make any money. Personally I don’t like them because they have carried out an agenda against our prime minister Narendra Modi for years now, not that it matters, and generally are contemptuous of India. And I don’t think we should be discussing politics here as there’s always a potential for things to get ugly. :slight_smile:

#9

When we deport people they just come right back. I know someone who was deported back to Canada and in a week he was back.