Brexit: View from Spain

The minute the Brexit result came through, AudlemOnline instructed its European correspondents, currently enjoying Sangria and Paella on the Costa del Sol, to report back on what is happening in the land of the British expat.

Hundreds of thousands of English residents are suddenly staring at an uncertain future:

• Will their right to live in Spain, part of the EU's Freedom of Movement, come to an end?
• Will the valuable EU Health Card entitling them, and visitors, to reciprocal health arrangements on the same terms as their Spanish neighbours cease to provide them with affordable health care?
• Will their pensions allow them to live a reasonable life as the pound loses value against the Euro.
• And to top it all, can they sell their property in a market that may see a glut in supply and a dearth of demand as the British who may have thought of moving to the sun reconsider their options?

As yet, there's no sign of a traffic jam on the road to Gibraltar with Expats' cars overloaded with all their possessions, Oklahoma style as in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, all heading to the Rock in the hope of a Pensioners' Dunkirk, only with car ferries and cruise liners replacing the little craft of 1940.

There is, however, widespread concern for the reasons above. Will those that stay, and doubtless many will, indeed they may have no choice if they cannot sell their property, have to apply for Spanish citizenship – after all that may mean leaning a few words of Spanish! Or, as is more likely, will the Spanish remain as welcoming as ever.

Already, however, there is talk of Spain wanting to retake Gibraltar. After all, one of the conditions of Spain's accession to the European Union in 1986 was keeping the border to the Rock open. They may well rethink that concession with the UK no longer in the club. Which is why Gibraltar voted for Remain more than anywhere else.

Fortunately, life in Spain is still cheap for those on a budget. Two loaves in Lidl for 19 cents, that's about 16p (or was – it may be more if the pound keeps tumbling) and drinkable wine available for the price of mineral water back in Blighty.

The biggest problem may be faced by the numerous crooks living quietly on the Costas. They cannot go back and if they did, has Britain enough prison cells available to accommodate them?

Oh what a curious set of problems now face folk who a day ago had little to worry about, and saw hardly a cloud on their horizon. Yesterday morning, almost as if in sympathy, a few clouds did appear but, and hopefully this is an omen for all the Brits living happily down here, the skies cleared soon after and the sun blazes down again.

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