Initially I was quite upbeat about Theresa May’s offer to protect the rights of European Union citizens living in Britain post-Brexit. Why my interest? The reason is that British citizens living on the European mainland will get a similar deal. In my case and basing my opinion on the few facts which are available, my life in Spain will remain the same, it appears; I will even keep the vote in council elections, under May’s proposals.
But what concerns me is the "five years." If you have lived in Britain for five years, then you keep your present rights. Even those who move to Britain now will be able to keep their present rights as long as they are legal. But what about people moving to Spain from Britain after Brexit or obviously Spaniards moving to Britain? There doesn’t appear to be any mention of post-Brexit arrivals. If Britain is going to make it difficult for EU citizens to move to Britain after the divorce, then we can expect the same treatment in Spain. Yes, Britain will be controlling immigration from Europe but at the same time it could ruin the dream of many Britons of retiring to Spain after the pull-out.
The European Union is right: it is not enough. May’s plan should make it easy for European citizens to move to Britain, before, during and after the Brexit debacle. Also, there is another keyword - ‘legal’ residents. So, if you are not presently fully legal in Spain it might be an idea to get your paperwork in order. Otherwise your fate could be unclear.