"Without the three million EU citizens living here, the UK would have an acute labour shortage. Signs that it is becoming a less attractive place to live and work are a concern." This comment was made by the Institute of Directors yesterday after a report in which migration to Britain from the European Union was shown to have fallen following the Brexit vote.
Many people readily admit that they voted to leave the European Union because of immigration but it is clearly evident that without foreign workers Britain would come to a standstill. I know a number of eastern Europeans who are now working on the island after leaving Britan following the Brexit vote. They say that in some cases they did not feel welcome after Brexit and were concerned for the future. One told me that she was earning almost the same in Majorca as she was in London.
The government should have acted faster not only to ease the fears of EU workers in Britain but of British citizens living in the EU. I am concerned that Brexit will be a complete mess unless the government gets its act together. The last thing Britain needs at the moment is EU citizens leaving the country. Britain has said it aims to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in Britain as they are particularly important to sectors of the economy such as construction and the food and hospitality industries. However, there is concern that the government needs to address them as soon as possible.