If The Uk Left The Eu Would Ex-Pats Be Forced To Return Home?

[sandyRoe]

Would there be reception centres at the channel ports and Red Cross volunteers handing out tea and sympathy at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stanstead?

[dannyk13]

By the same token would all EU immigrants have to leave the UK,I don't think either would apply.There were ex-pats living in Europe long before the EU was formed.

[Cloverjo]

Why would they have to come home? I know a few Brits who live in Spain, or who are planning to live there. As far as I know, they don't depend on Spain being part of the EU in order to do this.

[sandyRoe]

I was thinking the contingency plans for the arrival of the Ugandan Asians must be gathering dust on a Home Office shelf somewhere. Maybe they should be dusted down.

[naomi24]

Ex-pats lived in Europe long before the EU existed. They are not a burden upon their chosen country of residence, so there's no reason for them to be forced to return.

[mikey4444]

One of the many items that needs to discussed in the run up to the Referendum, is how our ex-pats will be affected by Britain leaving the EU.

Will they be entitled to free health care, as they are at the moment ?

After all, there are plenty of people here, that would like to deprive all foreigners of free treatment in our NHS, so it would follow that they would agree to Brits having the same situation applied to them, when they are in Spain for instance !

But although this is an important issue, I will expect that the arguments about staying or leaving the EU will descend into the usual drivel about warm beer, cricket and wasn't the Queen Mother wonderful. It will be decided by petty affairs, not the really important ones. Emotions, not facts will decide the day.

We need these important questions debated and answered, but as our Press is overwhelmingly right-wing, its unlikely that we will be given the plain facts to make our minds up, just more propaganda.

[Sqad]

Mikey

\\\\\Will they be entitled to free health care, as they are at the moment ? \\\

Ex Pats, despite paying taxes and NI for years and years are only entitled to free EMERGENCY health care and only if they have a European Health Card and are treated as "foreigners. The fact that the NHS cannot be bothered to bill them for health care when returning to the UK is just poor management.

[naomi24]

^That's a plain fact, Mikey.

[mikey4444]

Morning Sqad ! I trust you are making a good recovery and playing your poor Missus up too much !

As you have just had treatment under the Spanish system, did you have to pay ? I don't want to pry into your personal affairs but I am unsure how it works over there.

If Britain were to leave the EU, what, apart from Emergency care, would you be able to access ?

[Peter Pedant]

// I was thinking the contingency plans for the arrival of the Ugandan Asians must be gathering dust on a Home Office shelf somewhere. //

I dont think there were any
considering the nature of govt at that time ( 1972 )

The main Asian cities advertised ( Leicester and s/w else ) in the press please dont come here... The cost of resettlement was minimal since basically it was the Ugandan mmiddle class. Devastated the Ugandan economy tho - as night be expected - Amin was warned and said he was gonna do it anyway

Most of them went to their near relations

see: http://compasoxfordblog.co.uk/2012/08/four-decades-after-the-expulsion-of-ugandan-asians/

The cost to the Treasury of the repatriation of displaced ZImbabweans ( previously known as white settlers ) has been nil

[Orderlimit]

The irony of your 1st post mikey !!!

[ichkeria]

Surely 'expats' is not the issue but rather people who work in other EU countries

[mikey4444]

Orderlimit...what particular irony did you have in mind ?

As I have said, I am unsure exactly how it works for ex-pats now, let alone how it would work if we left the EU, and I expect most people are unsure.

Perhaps Sqad can help us here.

[mikey4444]

ichkeria....I think that ex-pats is a term that we can use for people permanently moved abroad, as well as the ones there temporarily. What I want to know is how they are treated at present, and how that will change if we exit the EU.

A quite important question, I would have thought.

[ichkeria]

Britain would presumably remain in the EEA.
Isn't going to happen anyway. If Britain does leave the EU the UK as it currently is would almost certainly soon cease to exist. There are so many imponderables and so many issues that would probably be subject to new arrangements that discussion here can probably be no more than speculation

[ichkeria]

I wouldn't have thought permanent expats would be affected

[ichkeria]

Presumably they'll all come back here to vote for Britain to leave the EU and head back off to Spain away from the chaos :-)

[Peter Pedant]

Mikey have some sweet tea - this thread is about redrawing a border and the link with repatriation, - sandy will know that that didnt happen with Ireland and 1922.

and not about health care costs of an admission in Spain

[mikey4444]

I have just fund this on the 'net :::

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/Pages/Healthcareabroad.aspx

It seems to refer to "emergency treatment" but it is less clear when it comes to treatment of a chronic or long-term condition.

[mikey4444]

PP...well lets stay on topic shall we !

If Britain were to leave the EU, can we expect a lots of our ex-pats to return home ? If their health care is an issue for them, then yes, I would expect some to return home, at least. I know people that have effectively moved to America but come back every so often to get their teeth done.