If Gb Leaves The Eu

[Ric.ror]

Just supposing GB leaves the EU - will the GB passport holders living in Spain etc have to return to these less sunny climes and will the spanish economy miss
them?

[Hopkirk]

Well if they send all our retired old fogies back, there's a few of theirs we could expel.

[jake-the-peg]

I wouldn't have thought that they'd have to return

They will probably have to spend 6 months embroiled in Spanish Red tape and administration fees though to get the right to stay, the right to own property and goodness knows what else that they get automatically now

[Ric.ror]

Really - I did not know there were any significant numbers living here

[Ric.ror]

I was under the impression these ex-pats make a signifcant contribution to the spanish economy
Am I right?

[jake-the-peg]

70,000 Spanish in the UK compared to about 400,000 UK in spain

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jan/26/europe-population-who-lives-where

[jake-the-peg]

They used to but with the downturn apparently that's rather collapsed

This paints a rather grim picture

http://www.expatfocus.com/spain-expatriatism-and-the-economic-crisis

[Hopkirk]

I didn't mean retired Spanish, I meant EU citizens in general.

[237SJ]

This is one of the reasons I think it would be so difficult to disentangle ourselves from the EU. Same goes for all the Europeans living here. Not only them but people like Brazilians in London who came here because one of their parents has a Portugese passport. There would have to be some sort of amnesty for people already there/here.

[jake-the-peg]

Welll we'd need to spend a bit more money on the border agency - seems they can't cope with their existing workload!

Whoever thought cutting that budget was a good idea I wonder

[Sqad]

Most exPats living in Spain have an EU passport.

What would change if the UK left the EU for British exPats?....NOTHING.

[Hopkirk]

They would have you in handcuffs Sqad.



- oh no that's just the local nurses.

[Sqad]

Hoppy....LOL....those Spanish women can't get enough of me....with or without handcuffs.

[mrs_overall]

....with or without handcuffs...or general anaesthetic lol

[rojash]

"Most exPats living in Spain have an EU passport."

What's an EU passport?

"What would change if the UK left the EU for British exPats?....NOTHING."

I've kind of assumed that if the UK leaves the EU, I'll no longer have the right to live in Greece (though I don't class myself as an ex-pat - more an immigrant really).

What do you know, Squad, that I don't?

[Sqad]

rojash...an EU passport is a passport with European Union at the top.

Before the EU was established one had the right to live in Spain, Greece or wherever....what will change if the UK opts out?

Not a lot for the exPat i would presume, except perhaps that Euro would strengthen against sterling, which would be bad for pensioners, I agree.

[slaney]

I suppose it will all depend on the terms of withdrawal, and what agreements the UK might make with individual countries.
There are also the tricky questions of health care, state pensions etc.

From an article in The Economist..

"Around 2.3m people from EU countries were living in Britain in 2011, up from 1.1m in 2004; around 1.7m Britons have gone the other way. The rights of residency for such migrants would no longer be automatic. Forced repatriation would be damaging to all countries.

The simplest solution would be to offer citizenship to all those resident in Britain at a particular date, in return for a similar offer to Britons living in other parts of Europe."

http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21567914-how-britain-could-fall-out-european-union-and-what-it-would-mean-making-break

Who knows!
I'm keeping my EHIC card whatever happens.

[Ric.ror]

This raises a lot of interesting questions
I wonder if the rest of EU is hoping GB will stay in the community - has no real view on the matter or will be glad to see the back of them

[youngmafbog]

The ease of a few ex-pats (who dont want to live here) is not a reason to stay in the EU.

It would be as before and as with other countries ie Switzerland. You apply, get a visa then apply for residential status. Not really a problem if you are serious.

[rojash]

"Before the EU was established one had the right to live in Spain, Greece or wherever....what will change if the UK opts out? "

Well, I didn't. When I came to Greece, you had to have a residence permit, which was entirely at the discretion of the government, in theory, and at the discretion of the local policeman, in practice. At the moment, you don't need a permit, you simply have to register your presence.

In fact, I've never had a residence permit, as when I applied, they asked "what's your job?". When I replied "I write computer software", the copper banged his fist on the counter and said "Go away! Come back when you have a proper job".

[zebo]

If Scotland votes to leave the Union, what happens then? Will there be a massive exodus in both directions? What happens to people born in Scotland of English parents?