An EU citizen is an EU citizen, writes Tanja Bueltmann, and the government has made it abundantly clear that we are all in limbo until a deal to secure our rights is negotiated with the EU – if such a deal can be done. Politicians have chosen not to oppose the wave of xenophobia sweeping across the country, but to indulge those Leave supporters who want to cherry-pick who stays and who goes.
No, I was not surprised by the outcome of the EU referendum. It simply confirmed something I had been certain of for months: that xenophobic populism and lies would win the day. While I campaigned strongly for Remain – I could have been wrong, after all – I was thus, in a sense, very well prepared for the morning after. There were no tears. There was no sense of shock. I knew the Leave victory was coming and that was that.
What I was not prepared for was what happened on Saturday after the referendum. There I was, doing some shopping in Newcastle city centre – only to walk straight into National Front members holding a banner that read ‘Stop immigration, start repatriation’. That banner was not new, but the group behind it was clearly seizing the moment. Energised by the Leave result, they shouted that everyone from the EU would be kicked out. Their hate-filled chants are still stuck in my head.
A good 30 minutes later I walked down the street where I live, and ran into my neighbour. Smiling, he said hello, as always, and then proceeded to invite me to a barbecue. How nice of him, I found myself thinking. We had always got on well, but this was a first. ‘What’s the occasion?’ I asked. ‘Oh, we’re just celebrating that we are finally out of the EU – a Brexit celebration BBQ’.
I was stunned. He knew that I am German. So I told him that I would not be able to come, as Brexit really was not something I would ever celebrate. As an EU national living in the UK, I said, the vote had pulled the rug from under my feet and would severely impact upon my life. My neighbour looked surprised, and went on to say that I was not the problem, of course. That he wasn’t against me being there, of course. No, I would be fine, of course.
This has been one of the most pervading themes of my life since that day: the idea that, somehow, there is a difference between EU nationals; that, somehow, those perceived as ‘the good ones’ would not be affected by the vote to leave the EU. As I have noted elsewhere, you don’t get to cherry-pick. In fact, I take it as a personal insult if someone tries. An EU national is an EU national. Full stop. We will all be affected in the same way. We are in the same boat. In fact, it is the same boat as those of the Britons who live in another EU country. And even of Britons in the UK who have a partner who is from the EU. All of us have been living in Limboland since 24 June.
And it is largely hostile. With lies and xenophobia the central hallmarks of the Leave campaign, it is hardly surprising that the number of hate crimes went up in the aftermath of the vote. There are warnings already that another spike is expected after the triggering of Article 50. A few months ago I walked down the street talking to my mother on the phone. I spoke German. I was told to ‘f- off back to your country’ by a bystander. Never before 2016, never once, has any such thing happened. But I probably imagined that – or so many Leave supporters gladly tell me all the time. Instead of standing up to this hate that is spreading across the country, more and more politicians have jumped onto the populist bandwagon, repeating Leave’s lies on the apparent connections between immigration and a broad range of problems in Britain, from housing shortages to GP waiting times. These are connections for which there is essentially no evidence, but many politicians keep making them. The Labour MP and candidate for mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, went so far as to argue that free movement was ‘undermining the cohesion of our communities and the safety of our streets’. Politicians who say things like that are playing with fire. It is their rhetoric too, not just that of the likes of Nigel Farage, that fuels hate.
What all this rhetoric is telling me is that I do not belong here. I am foreign, and now frequently described as a foreigner. This, too, is something that never happened before 2016; not to me, anyway. From newspaper front pages to Lord Tebbit’s comments in the recent discussion in the House of Lords, the casting of EU nationals as foreigners who do not belong is now a daily occurrence.
Why is that so? For one, because the UK government is keeping us EU nationals in Limboland. Having made us bargaining chips in the Brexit negotiations, we are reminded every day that were are not seen as part of this country. Apart from the immediate and very negative impact this has on individuals and families across the UK, it also empowers racists who, in the absence of any guarantees, can continue to spin their hateful lines that we will be deported. Even initiatives that highlight our contributions, particularly One Day Without Us, received only limited coverage in the British media, and was essentially hijacked by an anti-Trump protest. EU nationals were not given a voice in the referendum, and even now, as our lives continue to be in limbo, our voices are silenced.
Of course the amendment recently passed in the House of Lords and the report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Exiting the EU are very welcome. But in many ways the damage has been done. And that is because although the UK government keeps saying that all it wants to do is guarantee the rights of EU nationals, it has failed to do so in the more than 250 days since the referendum. Not only that, it made us bargaining chips in the negotiations, and sent some of us letters telling us to prepare to leave the UK. And it requires anyone wanting to confirm permanent residency – for instance in order to get British citizenship – to fill in an 85-page form, with 28% of applications rejected.
These are very clear messages. And they are messages EU nationals in the UK hear daily. Life as we knew it is gone. The question that remains is this: how many of us will take back control … and leave Limboland?
This post represents the views of the author and not those of the Brexit blog, nor the LSE.
Tanja Bueltmann is an Associate Professor in History and Acting Head of Department at the University of Northumbria.
Tanja, I could not have said it better myself. You have outlined exactly my experience as a German living in the uK for 35 years. So far, we were all EU citizens, but suddenly, those of us not born in the UK are foreigners…….
Same here. I even had Leavers saying they should divide us by nationality and deport the ones who are Eastern Europeans. As an Italian, I don’t feel different from any other Eu citizen. I found the proposal disgusting and revolting but not shocking, it seems like every day we hear something more appalling. One might wonder what’s next.
“….but suddenly those of us not born in the U.K. are foreigners.”
If you knew the UK well, you would realise that emotionally that it has never really bought into “ever closer union”.
How often have you seen the EU flag given equal prominence alongside the Union flag on public buildings? Do you not appreciate the far closer historical, cultural and family ties with Australia, New Zealand, Indian sub-continent, Canada and the US? Plus the shared language, parliamentary and common law traditions with the Old Commonwealth? The UK has shared DNA with these countries and fought alongside them.
The EU is a very new political system compared to that. Even officially, it’s not even a country. Under EU law, you may have had the same rights as British citizens, But that didn’t make you British. I write as someone who became a British citizen by swearing an oath of allegiance to the Crown. You haven’t. That’s why you are a foreigner.
“So far, we were all EU citizens, but suddenly, those of us not born in the UK are foreigners…….”
Nothing at all “sudden” about it: Germany is a foreign country, fitting precisely the dictionary definition of ‘foreigner’: “a person born in or coming from a country other than one’s own”.
I’m reminded again that we have always viewed the EEC/EU in very different ways from Germans in particular. Remember, the UK only ever voted to join “the Common Market”, a free trade agreement; every other aspect of EU membership was then slipped in through the back door, without public consent (in particular, John Major and Gordon Brown were both ejected from office after controversially signing Maastricht and Lisbon respectively). To see you taking the rejection of EU membership so personally seems quite bizarre: we aren’t members of NAFTA, but I don’t see my Canadian friends getting upset about that!
Personally, I am far from anti-immigrant – I have quite a few immigrant friends, and am not at all certain of staying in the UK in future – I have, however, always objected to the discrimination between EU and non-EU immigrants: why should we treat Austrians better than Australians?
Excellent piece and I agree with all the sentiments and thoughts described in the article.
Why should the author of this article expect to have their future in this country assured when Brits living in EU member countries have not and why shouldn’t this country pick and choose which citizens of other countries come to live and work here?.
Hopefully, instead of pontificating about how Britain is to be made an example of for daring to leave the EU, the leaders of other EU member countries will address the question of the future of their citizens working here as a priority. Until they do so, I fully support our Government refusing to make any guarantees on the subject.
To refuse to accept an invitation to a barbecue because it was to celebrate the outcome of the referendum just seems rude and ungracious and to use your own nationality to try and justify your rudeness is ridiculous.
Of course some citizens of EU member countries make a valuable contribution to this countries economy but lets not get carried away trying to pretend that they all do, as for one day without us, given what a nonsense it was it is unsurprising that it got limited coverage in the media.
“With lies and xenophobia the central hallmarks of the Leave campaign” Oh please, give it a rest.
Karl: Britain is unquestionably the aggressor in this situation. It has thrown its toys out of the pram all on its own. It’s ignoble at best to threaten the EU nations with “that’s a nice future your citizens have built up here, it’d be a shame if you was to force us to deport them.” I suspect that in your heart of hearts you know that’s a dick move.
As for refusing an invitation to a barbecue, I think her response was very gentle. I personally would’ve been far less polite. I would be even less polite now that the pound is in the toilet, inflation is biting and nobody – politicians included – seems to have either a functional backbone or a functional strategy. Thanks to the collapse of the pound wages here are tremendously uncompetitive; the attitudes on show here on an everyday basis are breathtakingly ugly; and our last best hope is apparently the Trump circus. There is nothing for anybody to celebrate. We cannot even congratulate ourselves on regaining sovereignty! May’s white paper makes it perfectly clear that we had that in the first place.
As for ‘lets[sic] not get carried away trying to pretend that [all EU citizens make a valuable contribution’, perhaps Brexit voters, particularly the pensioners, should ask themselves how valuable a contribution they now make to the country’s economy – or are ever likely to make in what remains of their lives. They ought to keep a close watch on that sword: it cuts indiscriminately. Soon it’ll slice chunks out of their pensions too – somebody has to pay for Brexit – and what will they say then?
“Oh please, give it a rest.”
Tanja Bueltmann has kindly taken the time to describe her perspective – thanks, Tanja, and please don’t take this guy’s advice.
I do not doubt that she has heard many ugly comments by uncritical (and empathy-challenged) practitioners of British exceptionalism. We all have. That’s kind of the point of the article.
Well, Karl, in a referendum in Scotland 2 years earlier EU citizens and those born outside Scotland but with British passports, were welcome to vote. They were considered part of the communities in which they live and contributors to the body politic. If the Scottish government had prevented them voting, it would have been a YES to leave the UK (among Scots’ born electorate, there was a YES result). There was no resentment.
After Brexit there was a chance for the UK to be on the moral high ground (rather than just do what they usually do and lie to themselves that they’re on the moral high ground). I’m not sure what major bargaining advantage they get from doing this but I learned from a young age (under Thatcher) that people and communities mean nothing to the British establishment. A lot of working class Brexiters have been conned. This is going to end badly for them, and sadly it’s already bad for people like Tanja. I hope my country doesn’t have to go down with you.
Congratulations Karl for your reply, which almost entirely validates Tanya’s article.
“Of course some citizens of EU member countries make a valuable contribution to this countries (sic) economy but ….”
That comment perfectly echoes the sentiment expressed by Tanya’s neighbour who invited her to their Brexit party. “Oh no, not you. The other ones.” Irony alert!
When you characterise Tanya’s declining to attend said Brexit party as “rude and ungracious”, you’re displaying your own churlishness and mean-spiritedness. Hardly British values to espouse, some might say.
You do realise that immigration is financially beneficial to Britain? That more tax is raised by them being employed here than is taken out of the economy? Or that they receive in benefits?
And why shouldn’t EU citizens expect their government to recognise their contribution to Britain and tell them they are valued and welcome to continue to live and work here?
You do realise it’s a deliberate and cynical tactic by the UK government not to grant the rights of EU citizens to continue to work and live in the UK?
The most galling aspect of your reply is what you tellingly fail to include. The whole thrust of Tanya’s article was the appalling racism, prejudice and xenophobia we’ve seen in the UK before and after the referendum.
I say the UK; here in Scotland hate crime has actually fallen over the same period.
One can only assume you don’t regard this as a problem or a bad thing, seeing as you neglected to address it in your response.
Come to Scotland Tanya. Bring your talents. Bring your work ethic. Bring your beliefs of inclusiveness and solidarity.
You’ll be more than welcome up here!
A perfect example Karl of UK arrogance, of UK populist isolationist British Nationalism.
Let’s blame immigrants for UK governmental incompetence in controlling and managing immigration and issues resulting from immigration.
If Brexit happens and there’s no deal, the UK will certainly be worse off using our EU citizens, prices will rocket until the numbers of non-European immigrants is going through the roof.
oh for Empire 2.0
Comment deleted by editor due to ad hom abuse
Ugh!
“To refuse to accept an invitation to a barbecue because it was to celebrate the outcome of the referendum just seems rude and ungracious and to use your own nationality to try and justify your rudeness is ridiculous.”
The most ridiculous thing is your answer. For many of us, EU citizens living in the UK, Brexit feels like a parents’ divorce. These are sorrowful times for us. In my eyes, it is horribly rude to expect that we should celebrate it along with the likes of you.
Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has stated in no uncertain terms that the British will continue to be welcome in Spain after Brexit. Britain has not yet even formally announced that it is leaving the EU and so naturally, the rest of the EU is not in a position to be clearer than this. Nine months have past since the referendum, enough time to have a baby but clearly not enough for Britain to set out its stall or even to say what it wants. This is creating, as the writer quite neatly describes, a situation of limbo and uncertainty for citizens on both sides.
The ball is firmly in Theresa May’s court and given the contribution of EU citizens to the UK, she has every opportunity to be magnanimous and to both condemn actions based on prejudice and xenophobia and to confirm that EU citizens resident in the UK will not forfeit their acquired rights after Brexit. It is outrageous to blame her failure to do this on the rest of the EU.
Karl is obviously one of those who would not have refused an invitation for a few beers by some Nazis during the battle of Britain as this could be seen as rude… Probably he would have even cheered when told “we’re intending to take over your island.”
Seriously??
The rudeness is not with the author of the article but with the neighbour who invites, knowing the authors’ nationality and the possible fate after the referendum.
Karl, you should be aware that the EU nationals came here voluntarily to contribute to society in their new home and pay taxes in this country as opposed to those Britons who actually left the country. In a way you should ask yourself who the real patriots are.
Therefore it would make perfect sense for the government to actually recognise and appreciate our contribution by unilaterally guarantee our status in this country post-Brexit, because believe it or not, many of us still like this country as there were only about 37% of the people that actually wanted us out initially. The other almost 2/3 are who give this country hope that it is not lost yet when it comes to society…
Well Karl, it is to be hoped that in the not too distant future you come down with scurvy, because 1: there is nobody left in the country to pick your home-grown fruit and veg, and 2: because when the UK ends up having to adopt WTO rules ‘cos May and her pals have made such an arse of Brexit, you and all the rest of your ‘little Englander’ friends won’t be able to aford any imported fruit and veg.
Firstly, I’m pretty sure Karl would have been thrilled to have been invited to a Remain BBQ had the result gone the other way.
Britain started this mess and, as the EU have continuously pointed out, there can be no negotiation until Article 50 is triggered. If we’d really wanted to secure the future of British migrants living in the UK it should have started with a reassurance to all our permanent EU residents that their contribution and presence here are valued and welcome. Actually, this should have been done regardless of the impact on the Brits who left here for Europe. The EU residents here are our friends and neighbours and should be welcome. Sadly, what the nasty Leave rhetoric has done instead is alert the rest of the world to just how racist and xenophobic the (perceived) majority of the UK is.
So, what can we look forward to? Years of uncertainty, loss of business, a possible brain drain of EU nationals (who, let’s remember, make a net contribution to the UK) and the eventual breaking up of the UK. The Brexit referendum was sheer folly and, unfortunately, we all have to pay the price.
Karl, I fear you don’t understand how painful it is to belong somewhere, and then be told you no longer have a right to consider your home as secure. It’s not rude to refuse to attend the barbecue, it’s understandable. A mark of adulthood is to be able to see someone else’s point of view. Insensitivity is not smart.
Excellent article. I wouldn’t be seen dead at a brexit BBQ either. And thanks for putting the migrant’s perspective into words. I had a long argument about this only a day or so ago – which reinforced to me quite how many people in Britain just don’t get it – simply fail to understand the human consequences of brexit.
The atmosphere has certainly changed. After living here for over 30 years, it was only last week that I felt uncomfortable to reveal my nationality after being questioned by a pupil I was working with. Previously he had told one of my colleagues, who is Polish, to pack her stuff and get out of his country. This from a 16 year old, who has obviously been fed with prejudice by his Daily Mail reading parents.
I am a freelance translator and have already noticed a downturn in business since the Brexit vote. One of my potential clients cancelled the translation of her website, stating that, as a small business herself, she could not take the risk and start trading with the UK. Another client has scaled down his translation requirements for the same reason.
My British friends/family tell me that I will be all right and I won’t be deported. But I feel and fear, that even if the Government finally gives a guarantee to EU residents, the hatred and xenophobic populism created and displayed by the Brexiteers towards us “foreigners” will remain for years to come.
“… it should have started with a reassurance to all our permanent EU residents that their contribution and presence here are valued and welcome. ”
– exactly what Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland did say on 24th June 2016 to all EU nationals in Scotland.
I’m sorry to hear about these experiences but it is not all ‘vote to leave’ people are racist, I for one voted out. I’m hoping we (Scotland) get our independence soon and don’t believe in leaving Westminster and still having the EU as a master
Being German in England I think is more accurate. Scotland voted to Remain. This is a nationalist vote against Europe, not a UK vote. Brexit is a nationalist referendum, and it is English nationalism.
Well I’m a Brit that just happened to have lived in Germany throughout the nineties and was always made welcome with never a bad word said against my compatriots …. Nevermind that the UK are quitting the EU, that’s their choice (sorry but I refuse to be bracketed with brexiters), however I am totally ashamed of [half] my race and the xenophobia that I have recently encountered in pubs and on building sites towards foreigners, it almost seems as if brexit makes it OK to be racist. … Well not me, I was born pink on the inside just like evetybody!
I have visited Germany and Austria, on and off, very regularly, for close on 40 years. I have never found Germans to be anything other than polite, helpful and pro-British though I expect that pro-Britishness is in declining supply given the UK’s growing reputation for churlishness in Europe.
More of the deadheads who display anti-European and especially anti-German views should get off their behinds and visit the country. Sit in a Biergarten in Munich or Passau, under the chestnut trees with a nice cold beer talking to local people. Visit the beach in Travenmunde then go for a delicious fish dinner. Spend long weekends in Berlin or Hamburg. Work out that Germans aren’t some kind of ancestral enemy but our fellow Europeans and partners.
I can’t even begin to imagine how it must feel for you and other EU Nationals being surrounded by so much hate from far right English Nationalism but l do wish you wouldn’t refer to it as if it’s Scotland or N.Ireland..These racists are in England whilst Scotland and its people are very protective of our EU Nationals especially since we voted 62% to remain in EU as did N.Ireland vote Remain. Even my German Dad who settled in Scotland after the war was welcomed so please do not drag Scotland in with “UK” when you are describing the feeling you and others are feeling. You would instantly notice the warmth towards EU and it’s Nationals if you visited Scotland.
There are politicians who have stood up and called out the wave of stupidity and xenophobia – Ken Clark for one, albeit an isolated voice of sanity on the Tory benches.
And consistently, both before and after the EU referendum – Nicola Sturgeon. Who has done as much as she can with the limited powers available to the Scottish Government to reassure nationals of other EU states that they, you, remain welcome in Scotland.
The policy paper “Scotland’s Place in Europe” released just before Christmas sets out a compromise option that accepts the overall UK Brexit vote but would allow Scotland to stay in the EEA – protecting the four freedoms, including the right of EEA citizens to live and work in Scotland.
That requires devolution of immigration policy and various economic powers in order to work. Please read it.
To date Mrs May’s response has basically been to threaten to abolish the Scottish Parliament. Arrogant and unhelpful. But there is still time for her to respond positively and incorporste that compromise in the A50 notice. If not, well, we’ll see.
It may be that we (Scotland) will be dragged out of the EU and single market in March 2019. We won’t be out of the latter for long.
Don’t lose hope Tanja. The whole UK hasn’t gone mad.
well, EU nationals, on the whole, have been net contributors to the UK economy, whereas UK nationals in the EU have been, on the whole, net absorbers of resources (in fact, the majority of EU nationals in the UK are active workers in all sectors of the economy, whereas the majority of UK nationals in the EU are pensioners). It is not the same kind of immigration. That said, it is true that the Brexit referendum has strongly damaged the reputation of the UK in the eves of European public opinion (and not only); even in UK Universities, the number of applications from EU candidates is falling, and will fall even more (Universities’ finances will obviously loss out of this trend); in many sectors of the economy, highly skilled EU professionals are thinking about leaving the UK before the Brexit procedure is completed.
Only in Scotland, the Scottish Government has been maintaining a welcoming attitude towards EU nationals and encouraging them to stay..this has been highly appreciated by EU nationals there…but unfortunately, if Scotland remains part of the UK, in the general perceptions of European public opinion it will be difficult to establish a new image – “a new brand” – for Scotland.
Karl is actually a Richard.
I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to string two words together and here you have managed four, well done.
i apologise. Forgive them for they know not what they have done.
Personally i reckon a very large proportion of them are just plain thick.
If independent, I’d recommend going to Scotland
I am in the reverse position, being English and living in Germany.
Some experiences I have in common with Tanja. Our status has changed. We have turned from being members of the family to being guests. That’s not very pleasant. Of course no-one seriously expects there to be mass-deportations of UK citizens living in Germany or vice-versa, but who knows what will happen in a few decades?
On the other hand I have had zero experience in Germany of xenophobia directed at the English. What Tanja reports is deeply shaming. But I think though she is being unfair to say that the central hallmarks of the Leave campaign were “lies and xenophobia”. I don’t think one can really accuse Boris Johnson, or Gisela Stuart, of xenophobia. Undoubtably there were xenophobes voting Leave, undoubtably there were dishonest claims made during the campaign, but the same can probably be said of almost every democratic campaign ever.
So we have to live with the consequences. Tanja says, about EU citizenship, that “you don’t get to cherry-pick”. Sorry, but this in future no longer applies in the UK. Why should the UK be bound in perpetuity to an arrangement allowing automatic residence rights for Germans or Poles (but not Australians or Serbians)? Tanja and I are guests, not members of the family any longer, in our chosen country of residence.
I suppose the main background to this article is the question whether the UK should now unilaterally guarantee residence rights for EU citizens. One benefit of being an ex-pat is that you have experience of two separate political systems. In Germany there is zero political will, so far as I know, for Germany to guarantee residency rights for UK citizens right now, which seems to me an exactly parallel situation. Personally I hope that the Article 50 will be triggered ASAP and the two countries can mutually guarantee residence soon after.
As one of those Brits in the EU, who didn’t have a vote in the referendum well said Tanja. It’s disgusting and pathetic that the UK government continues to use EU citizens as a bargaining chip. And before anyone cimplains currently we are all EU citizens.
As for the nonsense around punishing the UK for leaving let’s clear this up. The UK choose to leave and give up all rights of membership. That’s the starting point of these discussions. There is no punishment apart from self inflicted wounds.
Karl is valiantly defending the sovereignty of the people everywhere, not just the UK, but Karl is pushing the proverbial out of the runnels, or trying to.The seemingly cosmopolitan EU migrants are in truth a lot of little Europeans, as far as their pathetic moaning about their fate is concerned.It would be a safe bet that these EU moaning migrants have no intention of picking fruit if they are allowed to stay in the UK after Brexit.I doubt any of these moaners has ever picked fruit in the UK.I look forward to be corrected on that score, however.Casual labour from the EU on UK farms will be very welcome, if needed.They could be given three months work permits to work in the fields while farmers and engineers work out how to automate harvesting.They could go to Holland to pick up some clues.For crying out loud, the campaign by EU migrants to play anti-Brexit politcs is silly.It will only work against their own interests.Respect for democracy and the sovereignty of UK as a democratic nation-state, and any other sovereign nation-state in principle, would be more appropriate.
This is the culmination of 30 years of the poisoning of the English mind by a very large section of the London based press spreading xenophobia. I stated ‘English’ and do so without apology as I think its from England that the recent rise in anti-European, anti-EU and anti-foreigner prejudice has come. We have the same phenomena amongst groups of the population, in Scotland, but to a much lesser extent. The reason is not that the Scots are intrinsically ‘better’ people than the English, merely that rags like the Mail, Express, Telegraph etc have had far less influence up here.
I think we also have to recognise that this rise in xenophobia has been pandered to by members of the present government for a number of years. The amorality of a second rate clown like Johnson is self evident but other members of the government have been banging the anti-other drum as well. Think back to the 2015 poster campaign that demonised Scots as part of a drive to paint the Labour Party as in hock to the SNP. Look at the proposal by the creepy Amber Rudd to have some kind of ‘shaming list’ of UK companies that employed large numbers of foreign born workers.
I first saw the way the wind was blowing with our present prime minister a few years ago coming back off an Amsterdam-Newcastle ferry. Normally you pretty much walked straight off and disembarkation would take 20-30 minutes. Instead we were held up at immigration and passport control for a couple of hours as fairly painstaking checks were made on passengers’ documentation. The passengers alighting were Brits coming back from holidays in The Netherlands and Germany and Dutch and German weekenders over to visit the Metro Centre, Durham or such. These people had hours of their holiday wasted and must have had an awful impression of the UK. I asked one of, the clearly embarrassed Border Agency people what was going on. She answered that the Home Secretary was positioning to take over as PM after Cameron went and was playing to the right wing xenophobes in the Tory Party. Who was that Home Secretary? You guessed it: Teresa May.
To Ms Bueltmann and other Germans and indeed wider Europeans reading this. I doubt that the more extreme of the nastier sentiments expressed by the xenophobic populists represents anything like majority opinion in this country. At least, I would hope not so stand your ground and don’t let the so and sos win. There is a rather decent programme about the NHS on TV at the moment set mainly in the Hammersmith Hospital Group in London. It shows the amazing things that medicine is capable of now. It also shows the number of foreign born specialists who make these amazing things happen. It really is too late now to beat the xenophobic drum and win in the longer term. Too many of us have doctors, nurses, dentists, friends, colleagues, relatives who were born beyond our shores but have lived here for many years. Too many of us have lives enriched by knowing more about wider European and world culture. I was educated as a specialist in German history. I read Hegel, Feuerbach, Kant, Marx, Engels, Max Weber and others at university. My music mainly comes from European classical sources, particularly the Austro-German tradition. Reading back, it appears I’m one of those despised liberal elites. Only I’m not. I’m simply a retired schoolteacher and son of a lorry driver and school cleaner. There’s a lot of people, like me, out here.
Once again the lie is repeated in the comments that all pensioners are responsible for Brexit. Let me state my case. I am a pensioner, deprived as most nineteen fifties women of my state pension, living on my private pension- British. I did not vote to leave!
Excellent article. It sums up how most of us feel. The same apprehension when speaking with someone in a different language since the referendum. The same naivety noticed with people who voted Leave i.e. “it’s not about you, you will be fine” that only shows their ignorance as to how a legal system works. The same unwelcoming feeling, after having built a life and family in this lovely country.
The worst is probably reading comments displaying a complete lack of understanding of the human consequences of the vote, or the “well, there’s no xenophobia, it’s just some isolated incidents”. Well, there are evidence and facts (despite the aversion of some people to these) that hate crimes have increased (to the point of being . I fully appreciate that no all leavers are racists but their vote (and in no less measure the Government’s inaction) has fueled those xenophobic feelings so they need to own that responsibility.
Lastly, I want to thank all of those who have expressed sympathy for our uncertain situation and also appreciate our contribution to British society as a whole.
To those who question that contribution, here’s my bit: I’m a Financial Crimes Investigator. My team covers areas such as Terrorism Financing or Money Laundering. I was specifically recruited by a British-based financial institution (sometimes, in retrospect, I think I should have not answered that phone call). I’m not on benefits of any class. My Australian wife is a teacher assistant and we call a town in Essex home (whether Jake or Jacob above like it or not). I’m aware it’s not what Jacob above probably expects in terms of fruit picking but I still like to think it’s a decent contribution. Happy to discuss other material aspects (taxes) separately.
Thank you Tanja. As a Belgian who has lived in London for over 20 years, I completely identify with your article. Even in London, I’ve been verbally abused before and , ironically, been told to “crawl to the Eastern European sh*thole I came from”. Of course I could have said “I’m from Belgium, not Bulgaria!” but that wouldn’t have been nice. I’m European, end of story. My husband is British, of Portuguese parents and he worries for me AND for his parents now. When I came to work after June 23rd, all my colleagues were celebrating. When I did not join in the fun and explained why, they all said “It’s not about you, it’s about the Eastern Europeans”. I wish I could say I believe we’ll be ok but I think there’s a big difference between being made to feel like a member of the family and made to feel you’re merely tolerated. I certainly do not view my colleagues in the same way anymore. I have some close friends who are British, in Liverpool, from Irish or Scottish descent, or English but living in Australia or the USA and being immigrants themselves. I give myself a couple of years and then I think my husband and I will leave the UK and move somewhere else in Europe or even somewhere else in the world where the rules are clear from the beginning. I find it really sad but we will have to see how it all turns out.
A very powerful piece of writing: Far better than anything I’ve seen anywhere before for conveying Brexit’s tawdry nature. It needs shouting from the rooftops. More stuff of this sincerity and quality could yet save the day. Why do the rest of us fall so far short?
Lasting damage has been done even if we manage to stay in the EU.
Not only have our fellow-citizens from the EU suffered unnecessary upset and in some cases hostility.
Harm has been done to British people too. Some are learning that it is alright to hate people for their nationality. They will grow up with a defective moral framework.
This sort of nationalism is disastrous: President Mitterand towards the end of his life said: Nationalism? It’s just war.(“Nationalisme, c’est la guerre” )
What surprises me is how many EU citizens resident here still wish to stay in the UK. I know it is hard to leave when one has put down roots. But if the soil turns sour?
I am thinking of leaving if Brexit goes ahead. But though I have German blood, I only have British citizenship, so it will be difficult to do in practice.
But let’s try to stop Brexit: Facebook: Campaign for the Real Referendum – on the Terms of Brexit
Michael: thanks for your words. In regards to your question of why so many of us want to stay, here’s my two cents: regardless of a sizable number of people with a questionable moral framework (I liked that expression!!), increasing populist politics and even the weather, the United Kingdom is an awesome place to live and learn. Nothing beats a Saturday morning trip to a castle, museum or just a place where a small page of history was written (much to the despair of my kids, who would prefer waking up late!!)
This country is, in many respects, the baseline of a modern democracy. Having been born in a country that went through a civil war and subsequent long dictatorship. I grew up looking at the UK as the example to follow in politics. I studied political science and international relations here and I deliberately chose the UK when my company relocated me from Asia and asked where I wanted to go.
I have great friends here, my kids love it. They call this place “home”.
This place is a great one because people like you and many others make it so. I’m not giving that up because of someone decided to blame us for everything under the sun. It’s their fault when they decided to abandon facts for propaganda, not mine.
i second that 100%.
we came here voluntarily. In a way this makes us more patriotic than the self-proclaimed ones… 😉
The baseline of democracy, indeed.The future of democracy is the sovereign nation-state, not enforced federalisation a la EU machinations and bamboozlement.
How many times do people have to vote to “get it right”?The remainders and EU migrants who can’t stop moaning cannot be supportive of democracy, not matter how much they claim to be.
Jacob: I believe what you call “moaning” is my legitimate right to be heard, to call out a spike in hate crimes/incidents (which you seem to conveniently miss in your posts) and to campaign for what I believe are better solutions. That right is called freedom of speech and I’m afraid you can’t do absolutely anything to take it away from me, so better get used to it. Did anyone take that from you when you were campaigning against the EU?
Democracy is the rule of majority…. while ensuring respect to minorities. Winning a vote and justifying everything afterwards under “the people have spoken” is mob rule, there’s a difference.
At least that’s what I learnt in a British University
Lastly, please feel free to prove the connection between the EU and the majority of problems affecting regular citizens in this country. Please provide facts and stats, I’ll be happy to discuss. Providing a high level strategic plan that outlines how the UK will be better off within the next 3-5 years would be a bonus.
You have every right to moan, as I have a right to call it “moaning”.As to the campaign to have the Brexit refendum result, overturned, negated or ignored as only advisable, I do think that it is not unfair to call the remainers who are so “moaning” moaners.The reason being is nothing to do with any political campaign to make Brexiters see the light, but the ill-logic employed and the arguments advanced.That is a subjective judgement, sure.My legal opinion may therefore be said to be based on my own perspective, which is subjective.When was politics on the part of citizens ever a mathematical equation?
You, or anyone, has every right to campaign against democracy, if that is what you/anybody wanted, or campaign ostensibly in favour of democracy and in fact against it, or seriously campaigning in favour of the EU as it stands and seriously believe you are defending democracy., and so on.The EEC/EC/EU has achieved much.If the EU were to disappear overnight, its achievements would stand as far as they are useful to take Europe further on the road to the kind of governance the European peoples want, whatever that be.So, when you are engaged in politics, you are naturally drawn to take one side or other.If you do not take notice of the manner in and the means whereby your chosen side campaigns, as a whole as well as in the particular, you end up being judged, as you are here, not only on your own single instance of passing comment, but also are you judged on the company you keep, so to speak.Cheers.
Jacob, here’s another angle.
The EU continues to inspire many of us by offering and having navigated, largely successfully, a route that allows democratic states to work together democratically. Remarkably, it manages to do this while respecting the sensitivities of its country’s peoples’ over their identity and sovereignty. It is a target for, often unfair, criticism largely and simply because it exists, beholden to no single state.
Labelling this as ‘machinations and bamboozlement’, indicates an anxiety over venturing
anywhere beyond the narrowest notion of the nation state and makes it very hard for us to find that common ground we seek.
The EU.Until about twenty years ago I hardly took any notice of its doings.I was in favour of it, as I considered national politics increasingly corrupt.By and by I changed my views.I have no need to justify my opinion.That is for bureaucrats and politicians, scholars and paid experts.If national government is corrupt, there is at least a fighting chance for the people to change the system.At EU level, the drive to federalise Europe has become an article of faith for the clique in power.I cannot believe that any sensible person who keeps up with the news could now support the EU, unless they really believe it will deliver advantages for them personally for the future, not just now and next year.I can see the manipulation and bamboozlement, you cannot, apparently.If a country has a refendum on some EU constitutional proposal and it gets thrown out, and there is a scare campaign on the part of the EU Commissariat, Establishment politicians and atrain of paid supporters to get the people in the nation in question to change their mind, and their are some cosmetic changes to the proposal and some carrots are dangled in front of people if they vote in favour, and the referendum is held again after a year, that, really, is no better than mafia practices.Well, I may be wrong.Would it not be nice if I were proven wrong?Anyway, I think I am right.People will learn the hard way.
Gosh, I had not realised that when you said “No” to the mafia they offered you some benefits and asked you again in a democratic vote where you are free to say Yes or No without having to fear violence. I thought it was all severed horse’s heads in your bed. I can go to Sicily after all.
“If national government is corrupt, there is at least a fighting chance for the people to change the system”
The exact converse is true for Scotland within the UK Union as demonstrated by the fact that Scottish MP’s have never substantively changed the result of a UK general election in the past 72 years. As demonstrated that Scottish MP’s make a difference to just 0.7% of votes (House of Commons Library research).
As demonstrated by every single amendment to the Scotland Bill put forward by 56-58 of Scotland’s MPs being rejected by a party with one MP. One..
As demonstrated by the fact that the Scottish Government’s suggested compromise on Brexit whereby Scotland could remain within both the UK and the single market being so far ignored by Mrs May. As demonstrated by our 62% remain vote in every single electoral district being treated as irrelevant.
As demonstrated by 100% of or tax revenue being appropriated by Westminster, which sends maybe 75% back, with added patronisation.
Alongside that the EU, being an arrangement of sovereign states for mutual benefit looks positively benign. EFTA even more so.
I appreciate that may not chime with your view Jacob.
I have no problem with the people of England & Wales having voted to Brexit, despite the fall out on our citizens from other EU nations and on UK citizens in other countries. I do have a problem with that vote being imposed on Scotland and her people.
I am English and proud of it. Due to the nature of my father’s work we travelled widely growing up, but I was always glad to come home. And that is how I see England, home. For those who were not born in the UK, if you love it so much take the citizenship test as many of my friends have done and are now more proud to be British than I am. If you don’t want to do that it is your freedom to choose not to. You may go ‘home ‘. I use that term not in a unkind way, but in the same way I saw the UK when I lived abroad. I never identified myself as Canadian or German, but proudly English. If I had wanted to remain in Canada I could have applied to do so, just as my Aunt applied to become an American many years ago and identifies herself as such. If I wanted to move to Australia I would have to ensure I could make a valuable contribution to the economy and apply to stay…. why should the uk not have the same right and guidelines. I wholeheartedly welcome my teacher/ nurse/ doctor/ pre school leader/ police/ fire fighter etc. friends who contribute to our society, who genuinely feel they belong here and are happy to commit to that. I will fight alongside them for their right to stay. What I cannot disagree with is our need for control over our own boarders and more people coming in who cannot contribute/ will not contribute to our society. Why should we not screen people more carefully? I wouldn’t think to question that if I applied to work elsewhere…
There seems to be more hatred coming from the bitter remain camp than from the leave side. This started before the vote was decided. Stirring up people with bad language and fingers of blame will only stoke the fire. What needs to happen is listening, understanding and thought as to how we can support those who feel their voices are unheard. I notice Karl has taken a bashing, but he was not unkind, he just shared his understanding. Don’t alienate all those who would support your right to stay, it creates sides not unity.
Excellent comment Sam, sums up my position too.
I have read and re read most of the comments on here and they all seem to have one thread in common, those who voted to leave the EU are xenophobes at best, racist at worst. They are little Englanders and/or English Nationalists (singling out the English could be perceived as racism but the English tend not to play that you’re only picking on me because I`m … game). Just because this suits your narrative does not make it true. ( I can appreciate that it would go against your virtuosity to call the Scottish, Welsh and Irish people racists as you consider them to be a minority group oppressed by the evil Brits).
Other myths people paraded as fact are:
It was mostly (English) pensioners who voted to leave, we were all drip fed poison by the wicked tabloids and brainwashed by politicians (yes, of course we are to stupid to think for ourselves and believe everything the press publishes and everything politicians say).
Immigrants from within the EU make a net contribution to the British economy.
EU barometer surveys indicate clearly that the attitude in the UK towards EU migration has been becoming more ‘pro’ and less ‘anti’ from Nov 14-Nov 15, and from Nov 15-Nov 16 (the Brexit period). Likewise for non EU migration. The EU’s figures indicate that the UK is slightly below average with regard to seeing EU migration in a positive way. It is notably more positive than the average for seeing non-EU migration in a positive way ( http://ec.europa.eu/COMMFrontOffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/Survey/getSurveyDetail/instruments/STANDARD/surveyKy/2137 )
I know these stats don’t tell us everything. I am not complacent about intolerance. However, there is no ‘wave of xenophobia sweeping across the country’, no more than France, Germany, Greece …….
I supported the onedaywithoutus protest at my University. The protest in our town was very much ‘anti-Brexit’, co-organised by Unite for Europe who are explicitly for preventing Brexit (and also by Stop Trump). I did not support that.
The actions of a minority are not a reflection on the Brexit vote per se. National Front lumpheads standing outside Newcastle town hall are nothing to do with this – as the author says, they have been there for a long time (which did not stop many people from sharing and publishing the photo of them as if it was a direct response to Brexit).
On picking and choosing – this is what immigration controls do, at national and EU level. By the author’s terms the EU picks and chooses: Europeans welcome, Africans unwelcome.
It is unfair, I feel, for the author to imply intolerance against her neighbour. We need to talk to, not past, each other and we need to stop impuning peoples motives and engage with their politics. The challenges regarding racism, intolerance and many others exist irrespective of the EU membership.
Yes Jim.You mention statistics.In this case, unless the referendum was cooked, the figures are true.They are, in any case, not in dispute.The other, non-UK, EU member nationals protesting against Brexit are using different parameters from the people, pro- and anti-Brexit, who accept the result.These anti-referendum result parameters are measures they would not use if they were defending their own turf, their home, their own country.They claim a place in the UK by dint of it being in the EU, and by dint of the fact that they have lived and worked in the UK by their own choice.They seem to think they had a right to invite themselves into the UK, or any country they fancy, other than under the aegis of the EU arrangements.The UK had a referendum, it chose for Brexit.As yet, there is no clarity as to the status of they who have not jumped the gun and presented themselves to the authorities.The guestworkers, which is what they are, unless they are Irish or have obtained legal right to remain in the UK indefinitely, are now uncertain as to their position.Some don’t accept that.They have no respect for the result of the referendum.One even said in this blog that they who choose to come to the UK to live are more patriotic than they who are born citizens, or words to that effect.This shows a certain attitude about the borders of the UK, or perhaps they have this attitude to the borders of all countries, even their home country, if they have citizenship somewhere.For all we know these immigrants protesting the result of the Brexit referendum could be stateless.Maybe they threw away their papers once they got in, who knows?
If one had a home of their own, and allowed a guest in on some arrangement, say, wwoofing, and the arrangement came to the end, terminated by the permanent members of the household per democratic decision, and the guests were to entertain the notion that they came into the household of their own free will, and have every right to stay, because they re more patriotic than the family whose house they are in, well, it shows an arrogance beyond belief.It will sort itself out, somehow or other.If Europe keeps filling up with illegal migrants from Africa and Asia, at some stage the anti-Brexit result protesters will have second thoughts about breaking down national borders and claiming that they, or anyone, has the right to settle permanently anywhere they choose to live and entered as guests.
Just to clarify: EU citizens in the UK didn’t enter the country as “guest workers”. They came and sometimes settled here because it is their legal right under EU law until Brexit is completed. This right – which also of course applies to UK citizens anywhere in the EU – is now being nullified. That’s what the outrage is about. There is no similarity whatsoever with the situation of illegal immigrants from whatever part of the world.
And if this counry is truly a democracy – which increasingly seems doubtful – then the minority has every right to protest a political move that it considers as detrimental, unjust or plain stupid. Suggestions to “suck it up” or “stop moaning” because that would be “undemocratic” just prove the point made in this blog.
No guestworkers then?But the guestworkers who came to Holland, for instance, are now safely ensconced as Dutch citizens, with children and grandchildren born Dutch citizens.The EU other members in the UK who have jumped the gun by applying for UK citizenship without doing their homework have sometimes come up against a bureaucratic stone wall.Any who considers themselves familiar with life in the UK would know that bureaucratic red or blue tape is a fact of life.Worse, their plaintive cries of victimisation and discrimination have been used by anti-democracy campaigners to muddy the already messy adversial environment pre-Brexit tp positively poison reason and logic in this debate.
The campaign to overturn Brexit by anti-democracy activists, the Europhiles, has washed over any legitimate gripes the EU other member countries’ citizens in the UK who jumped the gun by hurriedly applying for UK cotizenship legitimately have.As it is, the continentals in the UK have been assuming too much.I am very familiar with the attitudes of the moderns in Europe, haveing grown up myself in Holland.Let’s agree that it is mostly innocence with a leavening of arrogance, lack of historical perspective, chutzpah without the wherewithal to back it up with clever argument, that and more fed and facilitated by a kind of hubris of post-sixties western Europeans who have never known real hardship, have never heard firsthand the stories about WWII from their parents, or forgotten them, and have generally grown up in an environment where a sense of entitlement was a strong subconscious drive to override common sense and reason.
It is early days yet, the sovereignty of the nation-state is not yet a thing of the past.As part of the EU club, permanent residents in EU member countries other than their own are there by a privilege derived from that membership.When the membership finishes, other arrangements will be made.Again, the campaign to overturn the Brexit referendum result has been dishonest in principle.It is one thing to keep hammering away against a majority who voted out, or to keep lauding the benefits of EU membership, but the twisted one way ill-logic deployed to try and undermine the validity of the Brexit referendum has been puerile and pathetic, if certainly in the usual EU apparatchik mode of bluff, bluster and browbeating.
This EU business is not sorted by a long shot.There is much to learn from this political conundrum.Advice: Read up on the history of Europe, the world and politics.
We *are* reading up on the history – that’s why this whole scenario has echoes of the 1930s for so many people.
That’s why the Jews are applying for citizenship of other EU countries in droves: because they have seen this unpleasantness before.
I am absolutely horrified by the small-minded bigotry, racism, and xenophobia of the Brexiteers, and their dismissal of any criticism as unpatriotic or “Remoaners”. I don’t recdognise my own country any more. I thought we had left the blatant racism of the 1930s to 1970s behind – it seems we have returned to it, like the proverbial dog to its vomit. I am sorry that it has affected so many people so adversely – and not just EU immigrants, but all immigrants.
Small minded is when you don’t actually have any reasoned points to make and resort to insults and pejorative smears such as racism and xenophobia, no doubt it plays well to the gallery.
Very sad to read this moving piece. This week I have met with a group of EU citizens from outside the UK who like you are resident in the UK (here in North East England) and have been for many years and in some cases decades. I wrote a blog about them which you can find on http://northernwoolgatherer.blogspot.com. There are many of us Remainers who want to help if we can.
‘it is hardly surprising that the number of hate crimes went up in the aftermath of the vote.’…
Pity she didn’t read the other article on this website…that there isn’t and wasn’t any ‘hate crime’ increase.
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2017/03/17/talk-of-a-nonexistent-tide-of-hate-against-eu-migrants-does-nothing-to-help-their-cause/
I know a number of other nationalities, yes, including german, and none of them are particularly worried or acting any differently than they did before.
In the UK, if you are Ok and pull your weight, that’s all that is needed to be regarded as de facto fellow citizens.
I think her comments are more an insight into her own views and uncertainties than others.
As for the Brexit BBQ…well, I have attended a fair few July 4ths and the Americans celebrate Amexit quite often…one every year I hear….
I did vote brexit, with some sadness to be honest as did many but the EU wasn’t going to change, an excellent idea, badly executed, so brexit was an embodiment of ‘change what you can and don’t worry about what you cant’.
I look forward to a time of sensible immigration , not no immigration at all that the remainers seem to think will come.
forgotten man – that article was published after this one.
Statistics on reported hate crime up until Oct 2016 are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/559319/hate-crime-1516-hosb1116.pdf
One can of course argue that *reported* hate crime rose because people felt emboldened to report it to the police.
Ros Taylor
But the readily available report it was based on wasn’t….
‘The most recent figures from November 2016 indicate that the UK is average within the EU with regard to positivity towards immigration from EU member states (see fig.1). If there is a tide of hate, this suggests it is not solely a UK/Brexit phenomenon.’
Much of the hysteria was triggered by the report that a Polish man was ‘murdered’ by a group of xenophobic teenagers..but turned out to be one individual who has been charged with manslaughter, which, if you are not aware of the difference means there was no intention to kill.
http://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/david-keighleys-bbc-watch-race-hate-murder-linked-brexit-just-fake-news/
I live in a very diverse area…and live in a diverse household and I have not seen rampant racists beating up anybody who looks ‘foreign’.
I have seen lots of liberal lefties get rather nasty about anybody who disagrees with them however….
I am sorry to read you had some bad experiences recently but what can one do. Maybe 2% of all societies are idiots who do things like you describe. I remember hearing so much prejudice from west Germans about the newly “integrated” ostlanders saying they are lazy, not clean and so on when I was visiting Germany frequently in the early 90s, but of course that was not representative of all Germans in the west of Germany. I still viewed the majority of Germans as modern exemplars of civilised society.
As for lies in the referendum campaign, I couldn’t agree more! I was astonished by the huge tidal waves of lies from the Remain side and the cynical un-fair use of public funds to promote Remain and the starting of the referendum campaign before purdah allowing the inate bias of the BBC to give a mild advantage to Remain. The astonishing lies about the economic catastrophe that would follow a vote to Leave (not the leaving its self, projections were predicated on voting to leave), which we can all see now was a totally false or worse a deliberate pack of lies, as the economy has performed excellently since June 24th. Also the use of the Foreign office to wheel in various foreign heads of state and heads of international organisations to promote the Remain side was yet further examples of an abuse of fair play. Not to mention the few (though not most) prominent Remain campaigners who insinuated that Jo Coxes brutal murder was associated with the arguments presented by the Leave side. Most Remainers were decent and democratic in how they conducted themselves but so many lies and abuses took place under the Remain banner that I hope the Remain leaders now feel embarrassed.
On the Leave side the only demonstratable lie seemed to be the £350m figure, though even that could be argued as correct in some respects.
Contrary to the last poster – Mike Hall – I would strongly argue with you about your assertion that ‘Remainers should feel ashamed’ about the lies from the Remain Camp. The Brexiters lied through their teeth – remember it was going to be ‘easy’ to leave the EU – they rubbished the economic scare mongering = well I consider the current rise in inflation as a direct result of the EU vote as proof enough – the economic damage of Brexit thus far has been considerable and is only set to get worse…I think Mike is like many Brexiters suffering from continued delusions of Grandeur about how important Britain is to the World…and the EU and we are somehow going to be treated as a special case…it’s DELUDED…
In response to the original article by Tanja I really feel her misery and pain on all this…not only have I many friends from many parts of the world and the EU, personally I feel strongly European – not only have mine and the other 16 million Remain voters been largely ignored since the Vote – 11 million – a third of the electorate – have been completely ignored – I know many people who were denied a vote for various reasons – not to mention the half a million 16-17 year-old who will be over 18 by the time we leave the EU and had no say in it…
I am appalled by the Xenophobia the Referendum unleashed – I have many Asian and those of African descent who actually voted for Brexit (why I think many of them now question) who were equally appalled to face Racism and advised to ‘go back to where you came from’ when they are second and third generation British Citizens…Sadly many were under the wishful thoughts that pulling out of Europe would leave more room for Migration for former British Territories…and many were taken-in by the Leave Lies – the NHS, Taking Back Control (total delusion) – Controlling Migration – we shall be controlling migration by pleading with those European’s propping up our Public Services and Business Sectors from leaving the UK – the tens of thousands of nurses and doctors from the EU – how are they going to be replaced…
I’m with you Tanja – this whole process has been a disaster for you and me…when will the average Brexiter wake up to this and voice their dissent….?
Forty years ago I was on holiday with my parents, and in the car they were playing tape with some German operetta (which I think my dad had been given by some German colleagues). We’d parked up on a coast road for some lunch, and somebody walked past and heard the German music through the open windows,
“Bloody foreigners” he audibly muttered…
As I said, that was forty years ago. This really isn’t anything new.