Spain’s Britons voice new anger over Brexit
New fees and costs are affecting some purchases and transactions
THE FEELINGS of Britons in Spain over Brexit have gone from ‘apathy’ to ‘anger’, according to state news agency EFE.
This rather simplistic view of British residents’ thoughts on an issue which has plagued their lives since 2016 was summed up in a headline.
However, EFE did provide a more in depth analysis of the situation through interviews conducted around Spain, including in Alicante province.
The state news agency noted that Britons make up the fourth largest colony of foreigners in the country – after Moroccans, Romanians and Colombians.
They revealed that the official population of British residents in Spain has now fallen to 262,123 persons, according to the national statistics institute (INE) figure from 2020 – a far cry from the more than 300,000 recorded in the boom times of the first decade of this century.
The majority are ‘enjoying their retirement close to the Mediterranean and the islands’, noted EFE, with the largest group on the Costa Blanca (71,138), followed by the Costa del Sol (49,817), the Balearics (15,885), Almería (15,882), Barcelona (16,615), Murcia (15,024), Las Palmas (13,436) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (13,098).
EFE claimed that the ‘most British’ municipality in Spain was San Fulgencio in the
south of Alicante province, where there are more Britons (3,000) than Spaniards (2,800).
They spoke to councillor for tourism Darren Parmenter, who told them that Britons were not talking so much about Brexit due to the fear and restrictions generated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that the lives of people ‘who have their paperwork in order’ have not been changed by Brexit, apart from some shortages in supermarket products coming from the UK.
Sharon Hitchcock, treasurer for Brexpats in Spain association,
said that some Britons now thought they have been relegated to ‘third class’ status.
She told EFE that some people who had voted ‘Leave’ now felt as if the wool had been pulled over their eyes due to the consequences.
She said these were the people who complained that they had to change their driving licence and over the tightening of travel restrictions to the UK.
However, she said that Britons in Spain should not look for people to blame but hope for another referendum which would ‘give them back their European status’.
President of Benidorm’s British Businesses Association, Karen Maling Cowes told EFE that many Britons were angry because they were ‘living in Europe, but without being European’.
She noted that it was difficult for some British people to accept because they had enjoyed freedom of movement for such a long time.
Gerardo Vázquez, spokesman for Abusos Urbanísticos Andalucía No (AUAN) in Almería – which has many British members – said Britons were finding ‘surprises’ when they came to make online purchases from the UK and in other transactions.
He said they were being hit with ‘unexpected’ additional costs.
“People have become used to online shopping but now they are finding that they are being charged €40 in fees for something that costs €60,” he stated.
Sr Vázquez said there was also anger because ‘some banks have started to charge commission’ for UK transfers.
Swallows on hold
According to EFE, the ‘swallows’ – the nickname given by the British Embassy to UK residents who spend part of their year in Spain – are facing a more difficult time due to post-Brexit legislation.
The UK government has stated that Britons (living in the UK) can travel to other Schengen area countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa for purposes such as tourism.
“To stay longer than 90 days in any 180-day period, to work or study, or for business travel, you must meet the entry requirements set out by the country you are travelling to,” they note.
“This could mean applying for a visa or work permit.”
EFE noted that some Britons – such as 54-year-old ‘James’ from Manchester – are debating whether it is worth keeping a property in Spain now that the rules have changed.