Originally posted by Maya00a
OK - I get what you're saying about other EU nationals moving to Britain, taking jobs, school places, houses, etc, etc.
However, I'm British but moved to another EU country 5 years ago - Spain. There's a lot (1000's) of ex-pats here in Spain and a lot of other
European nationals too.
If Britain ever pulled out of the EU and then the other EU countries decide us Brits have to 'go home', do you realise the burden that would put on
the British tax payer? We'd all need new jobs, houses, GOOD school places for our kids and use of the NHS.
If that happens, you could become Spanish Nationals and continue to enjoy living in that country. I have relatives who emigrated to Australia and
liked it so much that they became Australian nationals.
It's not the 'foreigners' that are wrong with Britain! There's a reason why so many of us Brits have left and it's not because of all the
foreigners. We left for a better quality of life - something that Britain couldn't, and still can't offer. Life as a foreigner is difficult and
the Spanish tend to have much the same views about us, as many Brits do about all the EU nationals living in Britain. There's many, many Spanish
that would love us to be 'sent home'. Not all of them have that view and I can honestly say that, on the whole, life here is still much better than
our lives were in England. We've often toyed with moving back but a visit to England usually reminds us of what we left behind and then we come back
to Spain grateful that we can stay here.
There's a lot of us that wouldn't be happy if we were forced to return to Britain because the EU country we call home, sends us packing. I'm just
curious if anyone has actually thought what a burden 1000's of returning Brits would be? Some of us would be leaving businesses, homes that we've
got mortgages on that are probably in negative equity due to the global recession.
You know if my family moved back to Britain we can't get any form of temporary help from the British system - my husband and I paid tax and national
insurance for 20 years before we left. However, we aren't eligible for any help at all. No benefits - income or housing, because we haven't paid
national insurance for 5 years (we pay Spanish social security and taxes). That would have to change if we were forced to move back and it would be
at great expense to the UK tax payer!:
The chances of the European Union lasting for any length of time are remote, because the intenal strains will break it. Britain (ie the Taxpayer) pays
£280,000,000 Per Week for the 'priviledge' of belonging to the Brussels' Gravy Train. Yes, gravy for a few, while the ordinary population gets
poorer by the hour.
It's only a matter of time as to when we say, 'Up with this we will not put any more.', and the whole fancy project gets consigned to the
'Dust-Bin of Modern British History.
