Britons living in Spain worry about life after Brexit

(16 Oct 2016) LEAD IN: Brexit has cast uncertainty over the future of thousands of British residents living in Spain's Costa del Sol. EU leaders are due soon to begin unprecedented - and knotty - negotiations on how to extricate the UK from the bloc. Some Britons living in Spain are considering changing nationality and brushing up on their Spanish language skills. STORY-LINE: A cloud of uncertainty hangs over British expats in Spain. Nobody is saying what the rights of Britons living in the EU might be in a future outside the bloc. Many are worried about losing entitlements in Spain, which is part of the EU. A dozen students, most of them British pensioners who have been living in the "Costa del Sol" for decades, have joined a new Spanish Nationality Course at the Parnell Academy in Mijas. They're learning the basics of the language, as well as some local history and culture, to prepare for two exams that must be taken ahead of being granted Spanish Nationality. "I really have no intention of going back to the UK", says Lesley Lawrence, one of the students, who has been living in Spain for around 20 years. "It's possible that I will change my nationality because of the Brexit vote", she adds. "It depends how things go after they trigger article 50, because until then we don't know how it's going to affect us." Another student Philip Hubner has owned a house in Spain for 17 years and moved to Mijas full time two years ago. He is now keen to mingle more with the local Spaniards. "I'm going to make a determined effort to learn the language to integrate with the local people here in Spain. I know a few words, I know how to buy...get a beer, "cerveza", …, "la cuenta por favor", could I have the bill?" The owner of the school, Richard Parnell, is familiar with both countries. He was born in Britain and has lived in Spain since he was 5 years old. After the Brexit result he started the course to help his fellow Brits living in Spain to cope with the long term implications. "I saw the fallout of the vote to leave and I knew that myself, as a foreigner living in Spain, I would have certain problems and I knew that there would be other people. I was thinking of opening an academy anyway, well, why not make a course that would make these people who need to learn Spanish and maybe help them get the Spanish nationality," he explains. The value of the British currency is another major concern. Many retired expats, live on a U.K. pension that is sent in pounds and pensioners must exchange that income to the Euro, which is used in Spain. The pound has lost almost a fifth of its value since June 23. Shortly after the Brexit vote, Anne Hernandez, a decades-long British resident in Mijas, co-founded the 'Brexpats in Spain' association, to try to address those fears. "Having met people come to us asking for help, we've identified a list of priorities and obviously everybody's individual, but there are general priorities, being for example: health care, pensions, finance and banking, education, and nationality," she says. The association currently has 2,800 members and has expanded outside the borders of Mijas to other towns along the coast. The local mayor's office estimates that there are 11,000 British residents in Mijas, out of a total population of 80,000, so the mayor takes a strong interest in their concerns. "When the results of the Brexit (referendum) were known, a big uncertainty was created. We're talking about the (local) economy, because it's tourism, residential tourism, and in the local administration this uncertainty creates a concern, because we know how important tourism is for us," he adds. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/643943d34256a9dc09b46bba1610053e Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

Comments

1. If you think about things for a moment, the ex pats wanted little England with sun. They have turned parts of Spain into a county of GB. They float the local economy, so who benefits if say 100k old aged Brits come back home ? Old age and poor health go hand in glove. Our NHS could not cope, nor could Social Care.
2. I hear you moan but you want to live in another country and not just visit then you should apply for citizenship pay taxes there and become Spanish otherwise stop moaning you have had a comfy life there. now its time to come back and spend your British pound in British shops etc If you want to stay become Spanish
3. Por lo menos esa pareja estan intentando aprender e integrarse. Lo que me parece una verguenza es que hayan decidio hacerlo ahora, despues de todo el tiempo que llevan aqui. Vamos, que no llega a ocurrir el Brexit y nanay
4. Ideally, the 250000 Brits drawing a UK pension in Spain would be balanced out the same of Spaniards retiring to Britain but in reality that'll never happen so from that point öf view the EU is bad bad bad for British jobs.
5. and according to Farage this is a 20 year experiment so best of luck or check out Grimsby
6. If you live in a country 10+ years why not apply for citizenship?? I mean, that is not just temporary change of residency anymore. And also, why do you still want to vote in a country in which you no longer pay taxes or are in any way involved with?
7. I want to retire in Spain too. UK is like a 3rd world Muslim hell hole now.
8. I voted to Leave for the future good of the UK. What is being advocated here is nothing to do with Brexit. I would ask you to read the Spanish Order 1490 of 9 July 2012, an article published on the British Embassy Madrid website. This article is a translation of new residency requirements in Spain as published in the Spanish Order 1490 of 9 July 2012. which sets out the rules of entry, free movement and residence in Spain of nationals of other European Union Member States and European Economic Area.
   
   What happened to free movement amongst Member States?
   
   Firstly, if I wanted to live in Spain and bought a property I would have to beg down at the local police station after my 3 months were up to stay and live in my own home and ask for residency. You should consider yourselves very lucky and now might be the right time for you to start to integrate by learning the language, as it doesn't look as if many semi/retirees will have an option to remain in Spain anymore. To do so has been made very complex as if they want your money but they don't want you.
   
   It is not correct to try to blame all those who voted out when the UK abides by the rules but others manipulate them to suit.
9. how embarrassing this couple are..I know how to buy a beer !!!!! now its all going to be a money making game..for people helping these Brits ..who couldnt be bothered to help themselves !!
10. at least this couple is making efforts
11. I do not understand why they are not able to speak spanish when they have been living in Spain for such a long time...and then, I have to SPEAK english perfectly just to be taken seriously here in the UK. They are more than welcome to stay in my country but I am really tired about this double stantard... try to integrate with spaniards, we are a lot of fun!
12. serveza?????