European citizens in Scotland voice their Brexit fears

MSPS have heard first-hand accounts of the uncertainty and discrimination facing European Union citizens in Scotland.

Holyrood’s Europe Committee was told many families had already left or were planning to leave the country as a result of the vote to leave the EU.

A panel from Fife Migrants Forum made a plea for more information amid continuing uncertainty over their status and concerns for their children’s future.

Ewa Smierzynska, from Glenrothes, moved to Scotland in 2010 and has two sons aged 11 and 15.

She said: “We still don’t know what we have to do. We need clear information on what we have to do next, what will be the next step.

“Lots of my friends have to leave Scotland because they don’t see a future, because they don’t know what’s next. Especially people who are here less than five years.”

Recalling a job interview at a large company, Ms Smierzynska said: “She told me she can’t give me this job because she doesn’t know how long I can stay here.

“Employers feel uncomfortable because they don’t know what will be next.”

Katarzyna Slawek is a case worker at Fife Migrants Forum who came to Scotland 12 years ago and has a two-year-old daughter.

She said: “Just imagine my worries in the night, what will be if I cannot work, I cannot pay my mortgage, I cannot make her a future. I’m really confused and every day people come with worries about Brexit and what will happen.

“We don’t have any communication, we have to look at the newspapers, we have to look on the Government website. That’s it.”

Ms Slawek said she knew of eight families who had decided not to return to Scotland after the holidays and around seven families who were planning to move to other countries.

She added: “I have a few clients who came and spoke about mortgages because people are worried to take a mortgage and I know a few banks already rejected the application just because, I guess, of the immigrant status.”

Auxi Sousa is originally from Spain but has lived in Britain for seven years and has two children.

She said: “We don’t know what’s going to happen with them. If Britain doesn’t want us, I don’t want to be in some place that doesn’t want me. All I want is to protect my kids.

“At my work there are a lot of EU citizens that are deciding to leave because they don’t know what their future is here. There are a few already who have left and there are another few who are saving to leave. I personally have been here for seven years, both my kids were born here... I refuse to leave.”