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OPINION: ‘Brexit may have stolen Britain from many of us, but it’s not going to steal Spain’

As we roll into 2020 and Brexit fast approaches, Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain reflects on the struggle so far and what more there is to come.

Published: 3 January 2020 14:00 CET

OPINION: 'Brexit may have stolen Britain from many of us, but it’s not going to steal Spain'

Photo: galitskaya/Depositphotos

The start of a new year is a time for reflection. It’s a time to look backwards, consider what is a good riddance and what we’ll miss. More specifically, it’s a time to look forward, to wonder what the future might hold and approach tomorrow with a clean slate and fresh hope.

The fact that we’re leaving the EU in less than a month is obviously a huge – and, for me, an extremely sad – factor this new year. Despite all our efforts, and three successful delays, Brexit is happening. However, I refuse to let Brexit steal my hope for a better, brighter future. Thankfully, that future will be here in Spain.

The result of the UK general election in December made many of us feel like completely turning our backs on the UK. For some people, it was the final impetus to start applying for Spanish citizenship. For Brits in the UK dreaming of a Spanish retirement, it was the stimulus to fast-track their emigration plans.

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Photo: AFP

The election, and Brexit itself, have made Brits in Spain value our lives here more than ever. Although many of us loathe Brexit, its implementation has, at least, brought some element of certainty. After over three and a half years of living in limbo, we now have more idea about the future. With the Withdrawal Agreement preserving some – if not all – of our valued EU citizenship rights, there’s at least some assurance of a certain level of protection.

With each new year, I become more appreciative of my adopted country. The list of Spain’s attractions is long and needs no explanation. I don’t remember when I first knew that Spain would be my forever home, but I certainly know that now.

Spain has changed me in many ways, yet at this time of year, I’m especially aware of how British I am. No matter how long I live in Spain, I won’t want to sacrifice my turkey dinner on Christmas Day.

The Spanish may like Brussels sprouts, with their proudly European name, but they seriously underestimate the value of parsnips!

However, despite having a Scottish husband, I would gladly swap ‘Auld Lang Syne’ for a glass of cava and a dozen grapes!

As I consider the pros and cons of becoming a Spanish citizen, I’m acutely aware that my six decades as a British citizen are ingrained in my nature. Hard as I might try, I’ll always retain the British characteristics that made me who I am today. It’s been some time since I was proud of Britain, but I still value many aspects of the British character that formed my upbringing.

Brexit has changed the way that Brits look at themselves, and others. It has shaped my life 24/7 since June 2016 and will, no doubt, do the same in 2020. While I can no longer hope to stop Brexit, there’s still a lot to hope and fight for.

We’re leaving the EU at the end of January, but that’s just the start. If we thought that the negotiations over the Withdrawal Agreement were tough, we haven’t seen anything yet. The discussions over the future relationship have yet to begin and will take years, despite the prime minister’s insistence that a trade deal can be negotiated by the end of 2020.

As we look to the future and pledge to eat more healthily, exercise more, be kinder to others or save the planet, many people will be thankful that we are getting Brexit done. Even those who never wanted Brexit will be glad of some resolution. The prime minister would like to remove the word Brexit entirely from the conversation. I will make this pledge now – while the final relationship with the EU is undetermined, Brexit will still be in my dictionary. While there’s still a threat of no deal at the end of 2020, Brexit is not done, and cannot be ignored.

I’ve started the New Year as I mean to go on by taking a long walk around my beautiful Spanish village. As I count calories over the coming weeks, I’ll also be counting the cost of Brexit, and holding those responsible to account.

So, let’s start this new year full of hope. We may not be where we hoped but we can mitigate the damage and create the best possible future. Brexit may have stolen Britain from many of us, but it’s not going to steal Spain. If I had to give up one or the other, Spain would win hands down.

By Sue Wilson – Chair of Bremain in Spain

OPINION: 'We moved to Spain in good faith and we shouldn't lose that right'

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INTERVIEW: 'A lot of people think Brexit is done, but it's not for Brits in Europe'

In the early days of 2021, after the United Kingdom had left the EU and completed the final stage of Brexit, many British citizens returned to their home countries in Europe only to face a grilling at the border.

Though the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) technically guaranteed their right to live and work in the countries they’d settled in before Brexit, there was widespread confusion about these fundamental rights and many were treated like new arrivals.

Over time, the chaos at the airports subsided as border officials and airlines were given clearer guidance on the treatment of Brits. But three years later, a number of Brits who live on the continent still face problems when it comes to proving their post-Brexit rights.

This was the reason campaign group British in Europe decided to set up their new EU-funded ICE project. Starting this year in March, it aims to build valuable connections between UK citizens abroad and mentor the next generation of civil rights advocates around the continent. The acronym stands for ‘Inform, Empower, Connect’ and the project’s organisers describe it as “the first project of its kind”.

“It’s a completely innovative project – especially the fact that it’s across so many countries,” Jane Golding, chair of British in Europe and one of the project’s founders, told The Local.

Bringing together groups from 11 EU member states, the project aims to train up volunteers to understand both the Withdrawal Agreement and EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as learning skills like advocacy and communication, using real-life civil rights cases that are referred to British in Europe.

“The ultimate goal is to amplify the messages across the wider group,” said Golding. “You start with the volunteers, they go back to their groups, then the people that we train, they go back and train people. Then they pass on that knowledge to the wider groups, on their Facebook accounts and through social media, and hopefully it all snowballs, not just in their countries but across the EU.”

‘Far-reaching repercussions’

So many years after Brexit, it’s hard to believe that there’s still a need for a project like ICE that empowers Brits to protect their rights. Indeed, the future of groups like British in Europe and regional groups like British in Germany and Spain-based group EuroCitizens felt uncertain just a year or two ago.

But Golding says there are still serious issues cropping up for Brits in several countries around Europe – they just have a different quality to the problems that arose at the start.

“In some ways it’s needed even more because as we predicted right at the beginning, at the first stage of implementation, you’ve got the more routine cases,” she explained.

“What we’re seeing now is not as many cases, but when the cases come up, they’re complex. They can have such far-reaching repercussions on people’s lives. And of course, memories start to fade. A lot of people think Brexit is already done, but it’s not.”

Volunteers in British in Europe ICE project

The volunteers of the British in Europe ICE project pose for a photo at the kick-off meeting in Brussels on May 21st, 2024. Photo courtesy of British In Europe

Though the rights set out in the Withdrawal Agreement apply across the continent, different countries have taken different approaches to implementing them.

That means that while in Germany, for example, UK citizens simply had to declare that they lived in the country, people in neighbouring Denmark had to apply for their rights.

This led to a notorious situation in Denmark in which as many as 2,000 Brits were threatened with deportation after not applying in time or completing the right application process. According to Golding, this had a lot to do with the fact that people who arrived in 2020 weren’t given the same information as other UK migrants who arrived before.

In Sweden, meanwhile, the situation is still difficult for many Brits who lived there prior to Brexit.

“There have been issues with an anomalously high numbers of refusals compared to other countries, and they seem to be taking a very strict approach on late applications,” Golding explained.

Portugal has been another difficult case. Although the country opted for a declaratory system where Brits could simply exchange old residence documents for a new ID card after Brexit, reports suggest that the authorities have taken years to issue these cards, leaving many of the some 34,000 Brits in the country in limbo.

“While people are still waiting to have their status confirmed and have their card in their hand, it’s difficult to access a whole range of services, like health services, or applying for jobs or dealing with the authorities, or even going to the bank,” Golding said. “All of these problems just affect people’s lives.”

A French border guard checks a passport at the border

A French border guard checks a passport at the border. Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP

There are also concerns about the EU’s new exit and entry system (EES), due to come into force in October, which is based on biometric documentation.

“We still do not have clear data on how many people in declaratory countries like Germany, where it wasn’t compulsory to apply for the card, don’t actually have a card,” Golding said. “How is that going to play out if it’s a document-based digitalised system?”

A lack of support

In the immediate aftermath of Brexit, funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was still available to support NGOs in Europe helping Brits with their migration and civil rights issues. But that temporary funding soon expired, leaving groups like British in Europe largely on their own.

“The whole point is people’s lives change at very different paces,” Golding said. “And now this project is really going to start to pick up some of those cases and report on those issues, which is really crucial and exciting for the precedent that it sets, and it’s very clearly necessary still, because people don’t just sort their lives in the 18 months that the FCDO chose to supply that funding.”

This feeling of being left alone and increasingly isolated from the UK is one that many Brits in Europe have felt in the aftermath of Brexit. But the upcoming UK election on July 4th could be a game-changer.

This time, following a change in the law, Brits who have lived abroad for more than 15 years will be able to vote for the first time.

Polling station in the UK

A polling station in the UK. Photo by Elliott Stallion on Unsplash

When it comes to the election, the message from British in Europe is clear: “Make your voice count now, make your vote count, make sure you use it,” Golding said.

With the June 18th registration deadline fast approaching, BiE is advising UK citizens abroad to apply for a proxy vote as soon as possible, rather than relying on a postal vote from abroad. Since the 15-year rule was abolished on January 16th, more than 100,000 British citizens have registered to vote, according to official statistics. It is unclear how many were registered before the change in the law.

With an estimated 4.7 million Brits currently living abroad – 1.3 million of whom are in the EU – this could have a significant impact on the electoral landscape, Golding says. But most significantly, the change is creating a feeling of connection and belonging that wasn’t there before.

Nurturing this sense of belonging is one of the main goals of ICE.

With these bridges being built, British in Europe hopes to create a network of support that spans across borders.

“Now we’ve met. We’re going to meet,” said Golding. “We know we’re going to meet again in Berlin in October and then we’ll meet again in the new year in 2025 as well. It means a huge amount because even British in Europe, our steering team, we’ve only met physically three times.”

This opens up the possibility of people sharing their knowledge from country to country, Golding explained.

“There is crossover and the reassurance of having that EU wide view and knowing that you’re not alone and knowing that in this country, we managed to get this solution,” she said. “And then you can go back and say to the authorities in your country, well, in that country they did that – all of that helps. It’s really good.”

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