TW
4

Now I know that there is little sympathy for expats in Britain but the European Union referendum has caused us some distress and fear; and the vote hasn’t even taken place yet. What is evident is that over the last few months the value of sterling against the euro single currency has nose-dived, which is bad news for expats living on a UKincome and also visiting holidaymakers. Before the referendum, the Spanish media had dubbed the pound as the strong currency of Europe; they are now thinking again.

If Britain does pull out of the European Union, there are going to be some important question marks over our future: will we need a work permit as non-EU citizens?; will we be entitled to free health care?; will we still have the vote in local elections?

This is not a question of scaremongering; these are the facts. If British citizens need to have a work permit then their employment opportunities in Spain will fall. Having to get a work permit for foreign staff entails plenty of work and money for the employer and the employee; I should know, as when I first started to work in Spain you needed a work permit. So our very lifestyle in Spain is at stake in next week’s European Union referendum.

It might be a question of everything will remain the same and no worries but unfortunately no-one can say that. We simply do not know what will happen if Britain leaves the European Union. And that is not scaremongering.