The
OLIVE PRESS
Summer of fun
Your expat
voice in Spain
COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE Vol. 1 Issue 19 www.theolivepress.es August 6th - August 19th 2020
Celebrities flock to Ibiza as they search for coronavirus relief...
Bye bye UK hola España!
Page 3
Resurrecting Red Hugh
In search of one of Ireland’s greatest heroes...
Page 9
Sunken treasure
The fight is on as Spain tries to claim a multi-billion euro fortune discovered on the sea bed...
Page 13
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Numbers of Brits making a new home in Spain jumps 500% as time runs out BRITS have been scrambling to make a new life in Spain with the numbers registering the country as their new home jumping fivefold in the run up to Brexit. New research has revealed that over 20,000 expats applied for a residency card (residencia) as part of the rush to stay in the country following the referendum in 2016. Spain is the most popular place for Brits to move to, according to the data, with thousands of Brits fleeing to the costas for sun, sand and certainty following the Brexit vote. Research from the WZB Social SciE ence n d Center s 3showed 1 / 1 an 2 average / 1 9 . of 2,300 people from the UK sought residency in Spain each year between 2008 and 2015. But after the referendum in 2016,
By Simon Wade & Kirsty McKenzie
the number rose by five times the amount, with 21,250 Brits registering between 2016 and 2018. The great expat escape is part of a wider trend seen across Europe, with researchers revealing that the number of Brits hurrying to take up citizenship in an EU state has soared by 500%, with a whopping 73,642 people moving away from the UK in 2016-18. While Spain was the most popular destination for Brits, Germany and France also saw a significant rise in the number of expats arriving from British shores. The spike suggests that the refer-
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endum results vote prompted Brits to make their move official before Brexit was finalised and freedom of movement came to an end. Co-author Daniel Auer said: “The uncertainty surrounding Brexit has certainly caused large numbers of people to pack their bags in both directions.” He added: “These increases are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis.” His colleague Daniel Tetlow said that the rise was a ‘striking commitment to integrate or socially embed’. He continued: “We’re observing a phenomenon and a redefining of what it means to be British European.” During the research, half of interviewees revealed they chose to
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leave the UK quickly, showing ‘increased impulsiveness, spontaneity and risk-taking.’ Brits voted to leave the EU back in 2016 and while the country officially left in January, Britain remains bound by EU rules during a transition period that lasts until the end of 2020. For years, many Brits have lived and worked in Spain without formally registering, but uncertainty over new rules means thousands are scrambling to preserve their residency and employment status. Despite 21,250 Brits successfully securing a residence card between 2016 and 2018, registering in Spain has now become an uphill struggle for many as Brexit looms closer. Torture by red tape: Page 6
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