Huge Wave of British Migration to Spain before Brexit is officialised

When 51.9% of the UK voted to leave the EU in June 2019, the British public were left confused and arguably panicked, feelings which have only festered in the years since. Consequently, an increasing number of British citizens have decided to migrate to Spain.

Even before Brexit, Spain was a popular destination for Britons, both as a holiday destination and a place to live, with migration becoming a common occurrence in the 1990s. In 2014, there was a registered population of British nationals in Spain of 236,669, most of whom were retired and looking to settle in Valencia or Andalusia[1]. Over the years, questions have been raised about integration in Spanish society or the receiving of unemployment benefits from a host country but with Brexit looming on the horizon, a new issue has surfaced.

British nationals are rushing to migrate to Spain before the deal is officialised in the hopes of continuing to enjoy the benefits of living in a member state of the EU. In March of this year, the BBC noted that more than 300,000 Britons are currently registered as living in Spain, a 50% increase from what it was just 5 years ago[2], with the Metro reporting a 4.6% increase in UK migration since the referendum[3]. Moreover, the number of British requests for Spanish citizenship has tripled since 2015, the year before the referendum vote. According to the Spanish General Department for Registries and Notaries, 166 requests were made in the first 10 months of 2018 compared to the 50 made just three years earlier[4].

In fact, this migration and holiday making has helped solidify tourism as one of the leading sectors in Spain and the government is eager to protect this industry. In a bid to maintain the high tourist rate (about 18 million in 2018 alone), the Spanish government has passed legislation to protect the rights of British nationals residing in the country. The decree would essentially keep things the way they are now, pre-Brexit, with health care, social security and education among the fields covered by legal measures[5]. It should be noted that this legislations comes with the condition that the UK reciprocates the protective measures for the 180,000 Spaniards living in the British isles. Reassuringly, both countries appear to be working together to reach agreements that will equally benefit both sides after Brexit is officialised[6].

To conclude, the future is never certain when it comes to the Brexit deal and this can be a difficult time for British nationals living abroad. However, communication between Spain and the UK, as well as legal action already implemented implies that things are headed in a positive direction.

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[1] ‘British Migration to Spain’ (15/09/2019), Wikipedia [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_migration_to_Spain (Accessed 10/12/2019)

[2] ‘Brexit: Spain to give 400,000 Britons rights under no deal’ (01/03/2019), BBC News [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47412708 (Accessed 10/12/2019)

[3] Carter, G. ‘Last minute rush by Brits registering to live in Spain over Brexit fears’ (19/09/2019), Metro [Online] Available at: https://metro.co.uk/2019/09/19/last-minute-rush-brits-registering-live-spain-brexit-fears-10771839/ (Accessed 10/12/2019)

[4] González, M. ‘Brexit pushes more Britons to apply for Spanish citizenship’ (11/12/2018), El País [Online] Available at: https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/12/11/inenglish/1544534126_338005.html (Accessed 10/12/2018)

[5] ‘Brexit: Spain to give 400,000 Britons rights under no deal’

[6] Abellán, L. ‘Spain will remove rights for British residents post-Brexit if the UK does not reciprocate’ (23/09/2019), El País [Online] Available at: https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/09/23/inenglish/1569214269_989612.html (Accessed 10/12/2018)