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Spanish PM believes UK expat rights can be preserved
| Published: | 20 Feb at 6 PM |
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In spite of May’s January rebuttal by EU leaders over UK expat rights, the Spanish Prime Minister still believes a deal to protect Britons wishing to remain in the country post-Brexit can be achieved.
Following last week’s report that Spain is luring wealthy expats with generous deals in the hope the revenue will make up for the loss of thousands of Brit expats, the country’s PM Mariano Rajoy now believes a deal protecting expatriates' rights can be done. Spain, it would seem, would like to ‘have its cake and eat it’, a result with which no British expatriate would disagree as increased prosperity would be the ultimate result.
In an interview with AFP, Rajoy told reporters he is convinced an agreement on the thorny subject of UK and EU expats could be made, thus ensuring both UK nationals in Spain and EU citizens in the UK remain unaffected by Brexit-linked political decisions. He added he’d like to be able to announce in the near future that such an agreement has been reached, thus ending the fears of both groups.
As many as one million UK expatriates are living in Spain, with the majority being retirees attracted by the warm weather and lower cost of living. Heathcare coverage post-Brexit is a major concern, as the majority are UK state pensioners unable to commit to expensive private health insurance. According to data issued by Spain’s Social Security Ministry, heathcare costs for Britons during 2016 totalled 243 million euros, almost half the country’s total spend on EU nationals. The data related to both Brit residents and tourists.
Whilst Rajoy’s comments may be good news for UK citizens in Spain, those living in Gibraltar may not be best pleased by his comments on the Rock. The Prime Minister aims to use Brexit negotiations to ensure all decisions affecting the Gibraltar are made between Spain and the UK. The Rock is a British Overseas Territory with an open border to Spain, and is dedicated to ensuring Brexit doesn’t damage its future. However, for many years Spain has attempted to take control of the peninsula in spite of vigorous resistance from British residents and businesses.
Source: International Advisor
Following last week’s report that Spain is luring wealthy expats with generous deals in the hope the revenue will make up for the loss of thousands of Brit expats, the country’s PM Mariano Rajoy now believes a deal protecting expatriates' rights can be done. Spain, it would seem, would like to ‘have its cake and eat it’, a result with which no British expatriate would disagree as increased prosperity would be the ultimate result.
In an interview with AFP, Rajoy told reporters he is convinced an agreement on the thorny subject of UK and EU expats could be made, thus ensuring both UK nationals in Spain and EU citizens in the UK remain unaffected by Brexit-linked political decisions. He added he’d like to be able to announce in the near future that such an agreement has been reached, thus ending the fears of both groups.
As many as one million UK expatriates are living in Spain, with the majority being retirees attracted by the warm weather and lower cost of living. Heathcare coverage post-Brexit is a major concern, as the majority are UK state pensioners unable to commit to expensive private health insurance. According to data issued by Spain’s Social Security Ministry, heathcare costs for Britons during 2016 totalled 243 million euros, almost half the country’s total spend on EU nationals. The data related to both Brit residents and tourists.
Whilst Rajoy’s comments may be good news for UK citizens in Spain, those living in Gibraltar may not be best pleased by his comments on the Rock. The Prime Minister aims to use Brexit negotiations to ensure all decisions affecting the Gibraltar are made between Spain and the UK. The Rock is a British Overseas Territory with an open border to Spain, and is dedicated to ensuring Brexit doesn’t damage its future. However, for many years Spain has attempted to take control of the peninsula in spite of vigorous resistance from British residents and businesses.
Source: International Advisor
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