Theories of "Brexit" and expats
In the last months, this has been a big doubt which every British Expat have been dealing with. Fearing to lose it all and to change their life upon geopolitical and laws changes. What will happen? How countries will regulate it? What will be the relations between them and how this will affect me?The questions could be thousands as the potential answers. Potentials because nobody still know what will be the agreements between United Kingdom and all the other singular country of the EU. However, there is to consider that all countries care about their economy interests, or better say, everybody hopes it.
To understand how could potentially be regulated in each European country the right of residence of British Expats, as usually reciprocity concept will apply, lets analyse the situation in within the United Kingdom. The European citizens in the United Kingdom are as many as the British Expats in the European Countries. The British Government has repeatedly stated that will allow European citizens already residing in the United Kingdom to remain there after the Brexit, provided that the European Union will do the same with the British citizens resident in other EU countries.
Until now the British government insisted that the procedure for the European Union's output will be activated by the end of March. It is sure that the United Kingdom will not leave the European Union before April 1, 2019: up to that time will still apply all the EU laws. However, the British Government confirmed that the United Kingdom will put an end to the freedom of movement for citizens of the European Union. Then, European Citizens who live and work in the UK, need to know the rules governing their right of establishment and implement all obligations, useful and necessary for the protection of their rights. So ideally, as previously mentioned, per reciprocity concept, this will apply also to the British Expats in the European Countries.
As we all are aware, citizens of other EU countries resident in another country, including British, are not obliged to ask for an official document proving their condition to the state they live in. However, it is right now a good idea to ask for a document to the Authority in the EU Country, to be used if, in the future, is required to prove the condition of resident. This document does not confer any right but certifies that the Authority of the EU Country has granted permanent resident status, which could be a very important step to the right of entering the country in the future. For the application for the permanent residence certificate, the applicant must request to the authorities the permit to be resident with ID documents and all the due documentation, certifying the right to reside in the EU Country. Time and procedure will change depending on the Country the applicant will apply to.
In conclusion, as the EU citizens are doing in United Kingdom, also the British Expats in Europe, must regularise their position by asking in the country in which the person has got its interest, for a Permanent Resident Certificate, to produce effects even after the Brexit dealing. After analysing pro and contra, and requirements, another solution could be applying for the citizenship of the country in which the person has got its interest. This is a more complicated option, however a safer one in consideration of the uncertainty of the situation. There could be the possibility to have dual citizenship.