MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Spain supports deal for British expatriates to remain following Brexit
Spain will support a Brexit deal that allows British expatriates to remain on the Costas with their benefits intact, including access to healthcare, it was reported. According to The Times, Madrid would “in principle” favour an agreement that would allow Britons living in Spain and other parts of the EU to retain existing rights. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesThis is good news but it will take all 28 countries to agree. It will surely get more difficult to negotiate when the xenophobes in the U.K. demand that we only have a reciprocal agreement with the countries they like. It will take 10 years to get a deal.
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 10:05 am - Link - Report abuse -13As I understand it it's not any UK xenophobes that's a problem but two problem EU member countries that won't agree the any UK nationals already there can remain after we leave. We, are happy for all here on referendum day to remain. This 'Remainer' scare story comes under the heading of fake news!
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 10:43 am - Link - Report abuse +2@ The Voice
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 12:40 pm - Link - Report abuse -13How is it fake news? All 28 countries have to agree on the reciprocal arrangement. THAT is the problem with negotiating our leaving. It is not fake news, it is currently reported in the news as it is being discussed.
To be clear EB, YOU are blaming the lack of agreement on UK Xenophobes (fake news with no foundation whatsoever and reported nowhere). I am blaming it where it belongs, on the handful of EU member states that have indicated they won't reciprocate. That's the only reason this is a bargaining chip - to protect the interests of British citizens living in EU states. The PM has repeatedly said that the government wants this point settled right from the start and has indicated that the residence of EU citizens will be guaranteed if the EU reciprocates. But there has been hostile responses from idiots like Junkner (Luxembourg where he was a mayor) is probably one of the naysayers. I am surprised that you should be peddling this nonsense.
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 12:52 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Agreed it's good news, AFAIK Spain has the most immigrants from the UK so it would have been a problem if they were uncooperative.
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 01:36 pm - Link - Report abuse -9@The Voice
Which two countries won't agree?
And what Elaine said isn't fake news, it's just her opinion whether it's right or wrong. Everyone has gone way overboard with this fake news thing; if it's not reported as fact somewhere, it ain't news, fake or otherwise.
@ The Voice
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 01:37 pm - Link - Report abuse -12You are completely wrong. I didn't say that at all. Negotiations have not begun yet and cannot until Article 50 is triggered. I was discussing the potential problems of getting 28 countries to agree.
Have you already forgotten that one of the leading concerns that led to Brexit was immigration? Do you think that people who voted to leave will want the EXACT SAME arrangement with the EU countries regarding citizenship and right to work? That is naive at best.
It isn't nonsense but you labelling anything you don't like as 'fake news' makes you look as stupid as Trump. Maybe try to catch up on some current affairs if you cannot find the discussions.
Not incidentally, the twin major concerns at the time of the referendum were Immigration and the NHS. These have now been replaced by the Economy and Inflation as the two major concerns of the public. How quickly it changed.
Well, Spain has at least had the decency to come right out as say Brits are welcome echoing the PMs various statements. As to looking stupid on this occasion I think your fake claim takes the biscuit along with the nauseating ageist comments now regularly featuring in your posts.
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 02:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@ The Voice
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 02:51 pm - Link - Report abuse -11“Well, Spain has at least had the decency ......” Yes, that is what I said in the first post. Glad you finally caught up.
Well your whole profile is a fake based on another contributor. Tip: Just because you are ignorant of something does not make it fake, it just means you are ignorant.
@The Voice
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 03:33 pm - Link - Report abuse -8So which are the two countries who won't agree to let British Citizens stay?
What really surprises me is that people assume that the general public give two flying f@$ks about ex-pats that have abandoned Britain to live cheaply in the Costa del Chavsville...
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 06:21 pm - Link - Report abuse -4They worry about healthcare whilst contributing to the Spanish economy instead of their own...
The Spaniards soothing words probably have much to do with the contribution to their economy that our expats make and the tomatoes strawberries peppers wine and chorizo that they export here. i.e. self interest.
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 07:22 pm - Link - Report abuse -6Folk who decide to live abroad are always taking a bit of a risk. Blistering sun, cheap booze, zero culture, is it worth it?
I think a lot of people move overseas because they simply can't afford a decent retirement in the U.K. I has been relatively cheap to live abroad in recent decades but the falling pound has scuppered that.
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 07:49 pm - Link - Report abuse -9My work takes me abroad at least half of each year and I wouldn't call it uncultured. I love something about every place I go and could easily live between two countries when I eventually retire. One being the U.K., obviously. But moving one's entire life abroad in retirement seems strange. Leaving your family and all the friends you made your entire life to die in another country seems an odd choice. Personally I would rather be poor in money and rich in family and friends.
Yes, the Spanish make a lot of money from the expats but they are only one vote.
@Voice
Mar 22nd, 2017 - 08:15 pm - Link - Report abuse -7Why wouldn't we care about them? Aren't most of them parents and grandparents to people still in the UK? They still have friends here. They're still British.
@The Voice
I'm sure it is self-interest. Countries aren't in the business of charity.
As for living abroad, evidently some people think it's worth it, or there wouldn't be so many. I heard there are so many Brits in Spain they have formed their own communities, they don't bother to learn Spanish, and people have opened shops selling British food. It's just like a seaside town in the UK, but with better weather.
And which were these two countries you mentioned? You weren't repeating fake news were you?
I think a lot of people move overseas because they simply can't cope with the disgusting climate on the British isles that affects their gout and wellbeing.
Mar 24th, 2017 - 12:16 am - Link - Report abuse -1@ Don Alberto
Mar 24th, 2017 - 01:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Hahaha. I don't think the climate is disgusting, it certainly doesn't affect my well-being and gout isn't caused by the weather.
That said, I accept there are sunnier climes but it is a balance between standard of living, health care, friends and family, and chasing the sun and cheaper goods. Until now it has been relatively easy for people to move to Southern Europe to seek a balance not far from home. That is definitely going to change. It may still be possible but the ease of movement throughout Europe will be more difficult. This is one of the key issues that drove people in England to vote for Brexit. They didn't want people from other European countries to have the right to live and work in the UK so they can hardly complain if European countries say the same to Brits.
@ DT -13 Beat that! :)
@ ElaineB
Mar 24th, 2017 - 06:48 pm - Link - Report abuse -1if the climate isn't disgusting, how do you explain that everybody owns a brolly? :)
Here in Mendoza about 1 in 20 own one.
@ DA
Mar 24th, 2017 - 09:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Now you are just being silly. Go and play with TTT or should that be, go and play with yourself?
@EB
Mar 25th, 2017 - 10:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0I don't think I can, I bow to your superior downvote powers. ;)
Actually I didn't see any weird results yesterday. Hopefully the phantom downvoter has got bored or banned.
@DA
It's really not that wet except in the North West, and it's the rain that makes everything so green. I just wish summers were a bit more reliably sunny.
DA
Mar 25th, 2017 - 03:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Here in Mendoza about 1 in 20 own one.
That's because they are so poor that they cannot afford one.
Weather is just weather. Inuits in the Arctic are quite happy with sub-zero temperatures.
Gulf Arabs survive in regular + 40°C. Madrid has freezing winters and scorching summers.
In Singapore and the Seychelles or anywhere near the equator it pours down every afternoon. When I was in the Seychelles, I could not understand why everyone carried umbrellas. At about 1400 the skies opened up into a down pour that lasted about a hour.
They even put up their brollies about 5 minutes BEFORE it started raining,as they were so used to it.
Where I live, I rarely ever see brollies. They are useless in the wind. An anorak with a hood is the best garment.
Anyway, if you are from Mendoza you must be a wimp or a big girl's blouse.
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