Brits in Spain and possible repercussions if we leave the EU

I have attached a readers letter from one of the free papers this week, (although I expect many of you may have seen it). I am one of the 'guilty' ones who, (if this article is accurate), had no idea of the serious potential consequences that could affect us should the UK leave the EU. If the infomation in the article is correct all of us enjoying this great lifestyle and weather here need to keep a close eye/ear on what is going on regarding this subject for our futures here in Spain.

QUOTE

"I have had a lovely long holiday out here but was very surprised at the level of serious discourse and informed discussion on the imminent UK EU In/Out vote. I write as my last chat with other Britons over a drink by the pool rather shocked me.

A British woman who holidays here (52 weeks a year) is keen to leave th EU as 'the EU costs too much' but 'the vote won't affect me as I live here'.

I had to explain that Britons are only here because we are part of the EU; that allows us to live here, work here, buy houses here and to enjoy free children's education and pensioners' healthcare. 

Just before I left, on News 24 BBC, I heard a round table discussion with a political economist who specialised in the EU. He said that if, and I fully accept it is an if, we in the UK vote to leave the EU, all Europeans in the UK will lose the right to live/work/reside in the UK and have to leave. Indeed the formar Attorney General, a pro-EU Tory MP, said recently that if Britain votes to leave the EU two millon Britons living abroad will be 'illegal immigrants' overnight.

Britons living in Spain/working in Spain/owning houses will be technically illegall immigrants. All the current rights to medical treatment on EHIC card, or pensioners' right to free medical treatment or free education for children  or the right to work or live or own property in Spain will go if we vote to leave the EU.

UK pensions paid in Spain may suffer the same fate as they did in Canada or Australia; there is no annual increase, the amount is frozen at the starting amount!

The expert on the BBC suggested that as the Spanish government gain so much income from the British it would be unlikely that we would be expelled. However, just as David Cameron wants to impose a Foreigners Tax in the UK, so the Spanish government would impose a Foreigners Tax on British people in Spain of €2,000 or €3,000 or €5,000 per person per year.  The effect of that would be some 30 to 40 percent of the British (only living on a state pension) would have to sell their houses as the tax would be too much to pay. The effect of that would be another 30 to 40 percent decrease in Spanish house prices, which of course, as he said, helps the local Spanish who cannot afford the house prices. The problem will be, as I see it, when loads of British people who have been unable to sell - even at knock-down fire sale prices - return to the UK broke.

I fail to understand why so many of the British in Spain don't understand this possible set of events.

Indeed as I write, for the first time ever, YouGov, an opinion polling organisation, showed a 2 percent majority to leave after months and months to stay in! The Guardian newspaper poll has moved from 11 percent stay into 3 percent, with the trend moving towards leave. Britons living in the EU must wake up, start to talk, educate and campaign or they will pay dearly for it."

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I agree people do not realise what will happen.

Very interesting post. A little early to panic, yet, not too early to keep a very close eye on things.
The problem with the UK we tend to blame everyting on the 'Johhny Foreigner' and not look inhouse.

We in Spain live in the middle of the EU, things that happen here would have the PC brigade leaping of the roofs. An example recently a court here dealing with some youngsters 'yobbish' behaviour, banned them from going out, and they had to do household chores, 'uman rights comes to mind.

Most of the discussion I hear is about global business, if the UK were not in the EU we could do business with China etc etc, do not hear much about the effect on the little man in the street, mind you I don't suppose politicians care much about that! call me cynical.

Then the tourist trade, easy jet, Rynair etc etc, the Hotels in say Benidorm. I remember the days when you required a photo and visa to visit France, and that was a day trip from Southend!. What is Spain suddenly requires visas, the knock on what be dramatic.

There is off course very many other areas of concern.

Not panicking yet, but watching closely and asking questions.
T

Also quite a lot of scaremongering. Spain only joined the EU in 1986 and many Brits owned property here before then. Reciprocal agreements on tax, pensions and healthcare also existed as they do between UK and many non-EU countries.
Those living here will have protected rights as international agreements state any rights given under a treaty cannot be removed even if the terms of the treaty change.
There are also a lot of Spanish living in UK so I doubt the Spanish government would upset them.
Yes, there would obviously be changes but UK visitors to Spain, those living here and coming on holidays, contribute over 4% of the Spanish GDP, almost double that of all other EU visitors put together. The removal of freedom of movement and currency would be a self inflicted injury to Spain.
Don't start ordering the packing boxes yet. Should UK vote to leave there will be 2 years in which governments can either resurrect old treaties or make new ones.
Misinformed letters don't help matters one little bit.
Regarding pensions. UK pays annual increments to Brits living in countries which give increments to their citizens living in UK, like the USA for example and, of course, the EU. Otherwise they'd be paying annual increases to their people living in, say, Canada, but also paying increments to Canadians living in UK.

Stay in !!!!...

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Britain only increases the pensions in 17 countries out of about 190 ...not even Canada or Australia get a pension increase. the government are trying to save money all the time, you can bet if we leave they will take great delight in freezing pensions..

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I totally agree with the post by marcliff. Lots of uninformed scaremongering going on which will increase as time passes & the armchair politicians get involved.

Jordy

mondo wrote:Stay in !!!!...

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Britain only increases the pensions in 17 countries out of about 190 ...not even Canada or Australia get a pension increase. the government are trying to save money all the time, you can bet if we leave they will take great delight in freezing pensions..

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Because Canada and Australia don't increase pensions for their retirees living in UK. It would mean UK giving increases to them plus increases to UK citizens living there so, effectively, paying double.
If Spain continued giving Spanish retirees living in UK their annual increase then UK would continue paying increases to Brits living in Spain.
However, I concur on staying in. If Spain stopped paying so would UK.

As we are still living in the UK and holidaying in our Spanish home at the moment It seems we will vote to stay in that appears to be the thoughts here. But I Agree we have to stay in.

My family came to live and work in Spain originally in 1973. Franco was still in power. We were entitled to both Residencia and work permits. My father got a small Spanish pension and had a UK pension which was a "frozen pension",no increases.
I can not believe that ex-pats living here would not got some type of "persevered rights"?
Spain would lose so much money from the ex-pats living here and could the UK cope with such an influx of Brits arriving back possibly looking for social housing (due to lose of possible low selling house prices) plus the NHS, pension credits etc?
Just a thought!!!!

There's lots of Norwegians living in and around Quesada. There's a Norwegian run estate agent as well. Not being in the E.U. doesn't appear to be causing them many problems.